


What Makes A Family

by Niiwasong



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Black Canary (Comics), DCU (Comics), Green Arrow (Comics), Green Lantern - All Media Types, Justice League - All Media Types, The Flash - All Media Types, Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Child Abuse, F/M, Fluff, Found Family, Hal is going to verbally threaten Bruce at some point but no promises as to when, Hal is trying his best, Hospitalization, I do not hold a medical license or a law degree, I swear I know English, I will pepper in the fact that I have Daddy Issues, M/M, Medical Inaccuracies, Medical Procedures, Nightmares, Panic Attacks, Wally is adopted by Hal and Barry, You jut wouldn't know it with how I type, hospitalization (eventually), injuries, tw: abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-07
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:34:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 41
Words: 150,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22161880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Niiwasong/pseuds/Niiwasong
Summary: The Allen-Jordan family learns to live with their nephew. some angst, some fluff, hopefully some comedy.
Relationships: Arthur Curry & Kaldur'ahm, Barry Allen & Wally West, Barry Allen/Hal Jordan, Hal Jordan & Wally West, Halbarry, Oliver Green/ Dinah Lance, flashlantern
Comments: 273
Kudos: 399





	1. A Careful Gaze

**Author's Note:**

> So this is an ongoing fanfiction, if you see something that I have neglected to tag, just let me know in the comments and I will fix it. If you have any suggestions I would love to hear from you, any homophobes, pedophiles, and transphobes can just gtfo of here

If Hal was being honest, his life had gotten far more complicated since Wally had come into it. It wasn’t that he didn’t like Wally, it was just that the young redhead seemed determined to avoid him. And the watching! It was like Hal couldn’t do anything without the kid seeing it, in the morning hugging Barry before leaving for work? Wally was on the stairs, peaking at them. A quick peck when he came home? Wally was generally near the dining room, staring at them. It was a little creepy, Hal had lived his whole adult life with cameras around, being in the military, and later as Green Lantern, but he had never had someone look at him that intently before, or for this long of a time.

Of course, when he tried to bring it up with Barry, he felt even worse, because he knew the poor kid was probably stressed out, four long years of physical and emotional abuse, a near month long stay in the hospital being poked and prodded, a custody battle between Barry and the state over where Wally would stay, moving states and having to leave everybody he knew behind, and the looming court case against his own father in which Wally was the main witness. So yeah, Hal got that the poor kid may be going through some hard times. That didn’t mean he had to like the staring.

“Love, I think maybe this is in your head.” Barry said, gently as ever, though Barry would have preferred if he had been harsh, because he knew this sounded ridiculous.

“Bear, I’m telling you, the kids watching me! He watches me in the morning before I leave, he watches me when I come home, I think our nephew is trying to spy on me!” Hal halfheartedly joked. Barry paused his dinner prep, tilting his head to the side in thought.

“Well, what are you doing when you notice he’s watching?” Barry asked, turning from his work to give his partner his full attention.

“To be honest, usually I’m just around you.” He answered.

“Around me?”

“Yeah.” Hal loved being married to a scientist, Barry could take apart the world with his mind.

“Is it possible, that he’s not watching you but rather watching us?” the blond asked, leaning back against the counter, his gray sweater vest dusted with flour. Hal paused, thinking back to when he noticed Wally watching him, coming to the conclusion that Barry may just be talking some sense.

“It’s a definite possibility.” Hal agreed, moving so that his back was to the kitchen island so he could lean against it, putting himself closer to Barry, who was nodding to what Hal assumed were his own thoughts.

“Okay so what are we doing when you notice he’s watching?” Barry voice was almost flat, like he was trying to remain detached from the entire situation.

“Ya’know something love, you sound like my shrink” the pilot teased, enticing a smirk from the man across from him.

“Humor me Hal.”

Hal sighed, thinking back and remembering the observed moments.

“We’re just being us! It’s nothing special, a hug and kiss when I’m leaving, a kiss when I come home, he’s been spying on us when we dance in the kitchen, just normal things, Bear.” Barry nodded, turning around and going back to cutting the carrots.

“So just couple things?” he asked, dicing the carrots to be cooked before moving onto shelling peas.

“Yeah, why?” Hal asked, walking to the freezer to grab corn, while also grabbing himself a beer from the fridge.

“I’m just thinking, something tells me that Rudy and Mary likely weren’t very affectionate, or their marriage wouldn’t have been falling apart, they argued incessantly, and Rudy’s an alcoholic. Wally was only three when all that started so if he has any memories of them being decent people, they must be few and far between.” Barry said, taking the corn from Hal and pouring it into the water he had on the stove with the peas and carrots.

“So what?” Hal asked.

“So, us being affectionate and kind to each other is probably odd to him and he’s trying to figure us out just as much as we’re trying to figure him out. Do you want my opinion?” Barry questioned, already setting to work cleaning up the counter top.

“Always.” Hal murmured, putting his arms around Barry’s waist. Smiling when the shorter man turned to face him.

“If we just leave it alone, he’ll move on, he’s scared and confused and we’re a tad bit weird. This is one of those problems that will probably go away on its own.” Barry said, lifting his arms to wrap around Hals neck and raising himself onto his toes to touch his forehead to Hals. The Brunette chuckled, pulling his husband closer to him, content that they could just enjoy each other’s contact, creepy children aside.

Days later, after Hal had resided himself to just letting the issue resolve itself, Hal started to get the feeling he was being watched in his room, rolling over in bed, he checked the clock to see it was almost one o’clock in the morning. Groaning to himself, Hal shifted and turned so he was facing away from the door and towards Barry, wrapping his arms around the sleeping man and pulling him closer to him. Hal lay awake for another hour before he could no longer feel the eyes on him, then waited another fifteen minutes before he got up and crept as quietly as he could down to Wally’s room. When he arrived at the red door past the stairs Hal stopped, taking a deep breath. ‘He hasn’t done anything wrong Jordan, he was just checking up on us.’ The brunette carefully nudged the door open and snuck a glance inside. The first thing Hal noticed was that it was way too neat, his own room as a child had been messy until his mother demanded he clean it up, when it shifted to cluttered, Wally’s on the other hand was immaculate, nothing was out of place, there were no posters, pictures, or calendars up on the wall, nothing but a pencil cup and notebook sat on his desk and the only thing gracing his nightstand was his alarm clock. “Note to self, buy this kid more toys.” Hal mentally added to his to-do list, sneaking further inside the room until he was standing at the foot of Wally’s bed, he could barely make out a mop of red hair and a sliver of pale skin of the pillow, clearly, Wally was sleeping. “Did I Imagine It?” The pilot thought. “Hal?” A sudden whisper from behind him caught the brunette off guard, and he had to restrain himself from sitting on the bed beside him. Turning, Hal could see Barry, his shirt and boxers wrinkled and his hair tousled from sleep. “What are you doing up?” The blond asked, stepping over to him and leaning against his chest. “Nothing love, I just wanted to check on Wally. I thought I heard him get up.” Hal whispered, wrapping an arm around Barry’s waist. The blond nodded and peeked around his partner to get a better look at the bed. “Is he alright?” Barry muttered, slipping his right hand out to pull the navy blue comforter back revealing more of the redheads face. Hal turned his head, just able to see Wally out of the corner of his eye. “Yeah. Yeah he’s okay Love, he’s alright.” Hal whispered, pressing his lips against Barry’s crown, kissing him softly, enticing a quiet chuckle from the blond. “Well that’s good. It’s getting late though, so you can stay up if you want but I’m going to bed.” Barry said, detangling himself from his lover and shuffling towards the door. Hal cast on quick glance at his sleeping nephew before following Barry out of the room, making sure to pull the door closed on his way out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that was the first chapter, I hope you enjoyed it!, as always, please feel free to leave a kudos and a comment! lots of love, Me!


	2. Night Time Terrors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wally has issues with his past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so in case I forgot to mention it last chapter, this is my first multi chapter fic, so if anyone has suggestions, I would love the advice. Happy reading!

What Makes a Family ch.2  
Wally heard the door close behind him and let out a breath he didn’t even know he had been holding, the lingering tension in him refusing to drain from his mind as he listened to the retreating steps of his current guardians. Rolling onto his back, Wally gazed up towards the ceiling, lost in thought and knowing he wasn’t going to be able to fall asleep. 

To say he felt conflicted would be understating his dilemma, he wanted to talk to Barry and Hal, he wanted to have that fairy-tale family with two parents who loved each other, he wanted to look forward to going home after school. But, as young as he was, Wally had become disillusioned with the idea of happily ever after, he had seen the monsters, but they didn’t have fangs and red claws, they had just been people. People who laughed at him when he was hurt, who threw things, who had labeled him as the bad kid, as the provocative brat who tested his parent’s patience. And he couldn’t help but feel that Barry and Hal were just like them.

What he wanted was Auntie Iris, but she didn’t want him. And as much as he tried to deny it, Wally had to admit that that hurt. Aunt Iris had been his saving grace, knowing that she would be there every other holiday had given him hope, she never hit him, or called him worthless, or told him he was just a stupid kid. She had always been willing to listen to him when he talked about the Flash, or wanted to show her his science project, or even just held him tight in greeting and when she had to go. Those little memories may have been few and far between, but they were some of Wally’s best, though, as he reflected on them, perhaps he was the only one enjoying themselves when she came over. 

And now he was here, in a city he had only seen on the news, living with two people who he didn’t know but had been told knew him, or they did, back when he was a baby. Wally had severe doubts about that, he had been told about Barry by his father, though never in a good way, so all he knew coming into this house had been that Barry was a kid whom his grandfather had taken pity on and adopted. According to his dad, Barry had been more welcome in the family than Joe’s own biological son had been, citing how Joe had sided with Barry when the adopted blond had announced that he was a fag, with only Iris coming to visit every so often, and she wouldn’t hear any criticism of her adopted brothers oddity. Too hear Wally’s father put it, he had been replaced by a blue-eyed, blond-haired outsider while he was left to survive by himself. Wally himself had no memories of his “Uncle” Barry, and felt incredibly uncomfortable living in his home, as temporary as he hoped it would be.

“Any day now, they’ll send you away, it’s only a matter of time.” Wally thought to himself shifting again to face the door. It would be easier, he had to admit, if his Uncle and Hal weren’t so odd, he had been living there for almost three months and he couldn’t make heads or tails of what their relationship was like. On his first morning in the house, he had been walking down the stairs when he noticed he could see from the stairs into the living room, where he could see Hal and Barry slow dancing. With no music, at least any that he could hear, there appeared to be no rhythm, neither was humming, and from where he was, he could see that Barry had his eyes closed. What was even weirder was how they suddenly broke apart, with Hal grabbing his work bag and heading out the door, as far as Wally could tell, neither had been near a clock. As Wally had investigated, there were no clocks in the living room, and that this was an everyday occurrence.

So Wally had started to watch them, and his confusion only grew. They danced in the morning, but bickered at each other when Hal left the house, they sat against one another on the couch but would complain that one was invading the others space, and they pressed their foreheads together yet mocked themselves while doing it, nothing made any sense. And still, Wally found himself comforted by them, because while they argued, neither said anything cruel, they were what he wished his parents had been, seeing them together made him feel just a little bit safer.

Though, Wally reflected, that might be coming to an end. He had taken a risk going to their bedroom and hadn’t expected to be heard, and he diffidently hadn’t expected Hal to follow him to his room. He would have to be more careful in the future.

~~~~~~~~time-skip~~~~~~~

It took weeks for Wally to build himself back up to going to their room. He knew it was odd, creepy even, but he didn’t want to stop, the two were quickly becoming a comfort, just a way to calm his mind down from the ever looming anxiety. He tried to convince himself each time that it was the last, but every day, he broke his promise to himself.

Though, maybe they wouldn’t mind, Barry had told him during his first week there that they were always available if he needed them, and said that as long as their door was open, he was welcome to come in.

“They Lied.” Came the harsh voice of his father, causing Wally to curl into himself a little farther. It had been eight months and Wally still couldn’t shake his old man’s voice from his head, no matter how hard he tried, there was a part of it that was funny, in a laugh so you don’t cry kind of way, scientists said the first thing you forget about someone is their voice, but it was the only thing Wally could remember about his father without the literal scars to assist. 

“Why Would Any One Want You?” the faded welts on Wally’s back started to sting, worse than they had when he first got them.

“Just You Wait, They’ll Send You Back Soon.” The phantom snarled, pricks of ice crawling up the red heads spine, a rush of fear forcing him to bite back tears.

“Go away. Please, just, go away.” Wally quietly sobbed, pushing his fist against his mouth to try to muffle his tears, closing his eyes against them. By the time 4 am rolled around, Wally had a headache, a bleeding inner cheek, and less hope for what his future held.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was a very short chapter, sorry about that. the next one should be longer


	3. Panic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wally suffers a Panic attack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So all of the anxiety/panic attacks shown are based on what I've experienced personally or that my friends have told me happened to them, so If I missed something feel free to tell me.

Hal tightened his grip on Barry as they swayed together in the kitchen, the now familiar, but still not welcome, feeling of being watched biting at the back of his mind.

“We have an audience.” Hal murmured in a sing song tone, smiling as he heard Barry snicker.

“I thought we always had an audience?” the blond whispered into Hals shoulder, breathing in the scent of his lover’s aftershave mingled with the forever present scent of jet fuel in his uniform.

“We do, I just thought I’d let you know.” Hal said, pushing Barry away long enough to twirl him before pulling him back in an embrace. Barry turned his head, looking at his surroundings only to find nothing out of the ordinary. 

“Where do you think he is?” He asked, still scanning for any sign of his nephew. Hal lifted one hand from Barry’s waist and drew a finger from one shoulder blade to the other, indicating where he needed the other to turn to, Barry complied by shifting his head from Hals shoulder to under his chin, glancing at the small entryway, and the stairs that lead to the upper level of the house.

“On the stairs?” Barry asked, his voice so quiet that Hal had to strain his ears to hear him. The brunette picked up that the smaller man was trying not to be heard by their unseen audience and answered with a quiet; “mh-hmm.” Barry nodded against Hals chest and closed his eyes, trying to figure out how to handle this situation without driving Wally further away from them, while also helping Hal feel comfortable. Fortunately for Barry, marrying your best friend has its perks and Hal picked up on Barry’s mood change fairly quickly, drawing back to make eye contact with the scarlet speedster.

“Hey, do you want to switch for a few weeks? You can go into work and I’ll stay home with Wally, I know you said you didn’t mind but if you would like a break I can talk to Carol about taking some work home with me.” Hal said, tracing Barry’s jaw line with his thumb. Barry shook his head, blue eyes bright with contentment.

“No, I’m alright love, you and I both know that Wally’s a little more open to me than he is to you,” Barry smiled as Hal nodded, “Besides, I’ve got a plan to help him settle in, I noticed a few weeks ago that he is in desperate need of more everything, so I was going to take him out today to get some stuff.” Hal grinned at him.

“Babe, you read my mind. Just make sure to get him a Green Lantern shirt.” The pilot said, drawing a playful defense from the anthropologist.

“And why would he need a Green Lantern shirt? Wally is going to be a Flash fan.” Barry said with an air of false haughtiness, giving Hal a light smack to the arm. The pilot smiled in response.

“Not if I can help it.” He sang, poking Barry on the nose. His husband smiled in response and rolled his eyes.

“Well fortunately for me and Wally’s dignity, you are not the one taking him shopping. So there.” The speedster finalized, pushing Hal towards the door. “Now if you don’t get going, you’re going to be late. So go, fly your planes, and don’t die.” Hal could only laugh as Barry shoved him towards the exit, lightly pushing him as he struggled to tie his boots around the tears of laughter.

“Alright, alright, I’m leaving!” Hal hollered, lightly grabbing Barry by the wrists to stop the pushing and leaning in for a kiss. “I love you.” He said, receiving a smile in response.

“I love you too. Now get going!” the scientist ordered, giving Hal one last push out the door while the other man laughed the whole time. Barry stood on the front stoop, leaning against the iron wrought hand rail, watching as Hal climbed into his car and pulled out of their drive way, honking twice as he sped off. Barry rolled his eyes and waved before heading back into the house to start with the day, sneaking a glace up the stairs, he could have sworn that he saw a mop of red hair dart behind the corner to avoid his gaze. So maybe there was some merit to Hal’s claim after all.

~~~~~~Timeskip~~~~~~~  
Barry finished the scrubbing down the last pan after breakfast, mentally plotting how to make the rest of the day go smoothly. As was the unfortunate pattern, Wally had hardly eaten anything at breakfast,, a few bites of scrambled eggs, a quarter of a slice of toast, and a couple of pieces of mango, diffidently not enough to satisfy anyone’s hunger, let alone a child who was on the road to recovery from a bunch of injuries. The troubling habit of denying basic self-preservation was a troubling key trait of their nephew and neither he nor Hal knew exactly how to deal with the problem. So now Barry had the fun task of trying to find this kid some new items that he would actually like, when said kid wouldn’t even talk to him, it was clear that it was going to be a long day.

~~~~~~~~~~POV change~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wally jumped as he heard the sudden knock on the door, instantly rummaging through his memories for anything he could have done wrong and waiting for the yelling to start. Instead, the knock repeated.

“Wally, may I come in dear?” Wally recognized Barry’s voice and slid off the bed, slipping his worn copy of How To Train Your Dragon under his pillow and out of sight. Tiptoeing to the door, he turned the handle and pulled in toward him, positioning himself so that the door was between his torso and his uncle, the older man was dressed like he usually was, jeans and a sweater vest, beside him, Wally felt even more disheveled in his poor fitting tee shirt and jeans that were torn far too much to be fashionable. His uncle was smiling and looked like he always did; over the top optimistic.

“Hey squirt! I was hoping we could do some shopping, grab you some essentials, maybe do some sight seeing, whadaya say?” All was said with the energy of someone who exclusively drank Redbull and expresso, but with a kind spirit, so as much as Wally would have rather cut off his own arm than go out in public, he felt like he would felt Barry down if he said no.

“Okay.” He shrugged, resigning himself to a terrible day. His uncle, on the other hand brightened at the affirmation.

“Great! Let me just grab my wallet and keys and we can head out!” he announced, turning towards the stairs, leaving Wally to follow in his wake, dragging his feet to delay the inevitable.

~~~~~~~~Time Skip~~~~~~~

Wally sat in the back of Barry’s car, eyes fixed stubbornly on the window, ignoring how Barry kept peeking at him in the rear view mirror. According to Barry, they were heading to Central Mall, the biggest shopping center this side of the city. Three floors, an adjoined movie theatre, and direct access to the subway. It was guaranteed to be packed with people. What fun.

The roads themselves were also busy, as it was clear that freaking nobody knew the rules of the road, or there were no rules, Wally wasn’t sure which. As the car made a turn onto the parking lot, Barry started to talk.

“So, I know you aren’t very comfortable with touching Wally, but could you please hold my hand? Just in the Parking lot? It’s really busy and I don’t want to lose you.” He said, blue eyes finding green ones in the rear view mirror. As much as Wally hated the thought of having to be grabbed, the thought of getting lost in the wilderness of cars and people was worse so Wally bit the bullet and nodded.

“Yeah, sure.” 

The only thing that made the whole situation better, in Wally’s opinion, was how Barry brightened when he said that. As long as Barry was in a good mood, everything was okay. As Barry found a place to park Wally started taking some deep breathes, trying to brace himself for what he knew was going to be a chaotic adventure. As the car backed into a vacant spot and was turned off, Wally unbuckled with shaking hands and stepped out of the car, shuffling towards Barry and reluctantly accepted his outstretched hand. Walking through the parking lot, Wally started to take in his surroundings, the mall itself was sleek, with very pretty coloured glass windows near the entrance, which was swarming with people, as far as malls go, this one was pretty nice. As they crossed the threshold, Barry started asking questions.

“So, what are we looking for today?” He asked, loosening his grip on Wally’s hand to allow the young red head to pull away from him.

“I don’t know.” Wally mumbled, looking down at his sneakers to hopefully avoid any more questions, to no avail.

“Well, we’re here to pick some stuff for you. Whadaya like?” He persisted, and Wally got the hint that the subject would not be dropped, so he fished his mind for anything to stop the interegation.

“The Flash.” He supplied.

“Really?” Wally flinched when he heard the question but was taken aback when Barry started laughing.

“Ha, I told Hal you were gonna be a Flash fan! That traitor was trying to turn you to the dark side.” Wally gapped at his uncle.

“You mean Hal supports the Rogues?” He asked, dumbfounded. He could never imagine anyone cheering for the villains, not even other villains.   
“Worse,” Barry replied with a grimace, “Green Lantern. You’ll have to forgive him though, he’s from California the suns cooked his brains. But you should diffidently tell him you’re a Flash fan when he gets home.” It took all of Wally’s self-restraint to keep his mouth closed for two reasons; the first being that he had never mentioned that he liked the Flash to any adult but his aunt and gotten a positive reaction, and the second being that he had never heard either Hal or Barry talk to or about the other like that. And it made him feel a tad bit uncomfortable. 

“Will he be mad? That I’m a Flash fan not a Green Lantern fan?” Wally whispered, already scared about his other guardians reaction. Barry must have noticed his discomfort because he put his hand on Wally’s back and lead him to a vacant bench, gesturing for him to take a seat before claiming the one next to him.

“Wally, I can promise you, Hal will not be angry that you like the Flash, just like I will not be angry if you like Green Lantern. Okay?” Barry implored, hunched over to try to look Wally in the face, which as proving to be ineffective because of how curled in on himself Wally was.

“Do you really think Hal is stupid?” Wally whimpered, arms wrapped tightly around himself, trying to hid how tight his throat was. Barry’s eyes softened and he grinned.

“No dear, I don’t think Hal is stupid. He’s very smart, he had to study advanced mathematics and physics to be in the air force after all.” Barry explained, a sense of pride in his tone as he spoke about his other half, to the blonde’s relief, Wally relaxed his posture a little.

“But you said the sun cooked his brains.” Reminded Wally, lifting a hand to brush a stray lock of hair away from his face.

“Oh Baby,” Barry sighed, mopping a hand down his face. “I was joking dear. I’m sorry, I should have been more clear that I wasn’t serious.”   
‘Great, now we’re both uncomfortable.’ Wally thought to himself, but he smiled nonetheless and forced a laugh, “Oh, yeah. Okay I get it! Sorry.” It sounded like a pathetic attempt at mending the mood even to Wally’s ears, but Barry seemed to buy it, smiling and leading them to a near-by store.

“Excellent! Now let’s grab you some gear kid!” Wally heaved a sigh of relief and let himself be guided through the shopping centre.

~~~~~~~~POV change~~~~~~~~~

Barry was up to his ears in awkwardness as he watched his nephew grapple with how to get out of the conversation.

“Oh, yeah. Okay I get it! Sorry.” Barry nearly laughed out loud, it was pretty clear that Wally wasn’t an actor, nonetheless, he dropped the topic and pointed out a near-by clothing store.

“Excellent! Now let’s grab you some gear kid!” Barry was hopeful that the quicker they got their job done, the quicker they could head out. Thankfully, Wally just seemed grateful to be done with the conversation and trailed behind him as Barry started off into the store, keeping a steady stream of nodding along to everything Barry said going. Eventually, Barry just resigned himself to grabbing a bunch of things he thought the kid might like and sending him off to the change rooms to try stuff on, hoping that the kid would at least tell him if something was uncomfortable or didn’t fit well.

~~~~~~Time Skip~~~~~~~

By the time Barry had purchased everything Wally needed, and some things he didn’t, it was bordering three hours after lunch time, and both of them were getting hungry. Barry was fumbling with balancing the bags and getting is keys when Wally wordlessly took some of their items from him.

“Thanks kiddo!” Barry said, finally unlocking the car and popping the trunk, getting the bags in the car with Wally’s assistance. As the last of their purchases were stacked in the trunk, Barry and Wally both slipped into their respective seats and started on the journey home. Mentally, Barry started on thinking on his plan to get Wally to open up, as the shopping trip had had the opposite effect on the youngster, who had become somehow quieter and more closed off while in the mall, as Barry racked his brain for ideas, he felt the familiar tremors that he had learned to associate with hunger and realized that Wally must also be hungry, however reluctant the little boy was to admit it. An idea forming in his mind, Barry took a left out of the parking lot and to gather speed.

~~~~~~~POV change~~~~~~~~~~~  
Wally knew something was wrong the second he felt the car make a left hand turn. He had tried his best to remember how they got to the mall and if his memory served, they should have turned right, so they weren’t going home. Panic started to well up inside of him as his mind started to make up places they could be going or what they would do once they got there, and none of the scenarios were great.

‘What did I do wrong?’ Wally thought, his fingers tangling into his pant legs, thinking back to everything that had happened earlier and the only think that he could think of was the misunderstanding at the very beginning, but Barry hadn’t seemed mad about that.

‘Of course he didn’t, you were in public idiot.’ The more ruthless part of his mind snapped at him, causing Wally to tense up even more and start to shiver. He could feel the familiar fogginess of dissociation creeping at the edges of his mind, anticipating nothing good.  
Through all his fretting, Wally hadn’t noticed that the car had turned into the parking lot of a cute looking dinner that looked like it hadn’t been redecorated since the early 50’s, he also didn’t notice Barry parking and getting out of the car, waiting for Wally to follow him. After waiting for a minute, Barry opened the door to the backseat and leaned into the car, looking at Wally across the bench. It was obvious that the child was in some sort of state, based on how cloudy his gaze was and how he had an iron grip on his pant legs. Shifting so that he was further in the car and seated, Barry gently placed a hand on his nephews shoulder, getting a delayed flinch out of him and not much else.

‘Wally, sweetheart, are you alright?” Barry asked, trying to keep his voice low. All he got was a shaky nod, though the little redhead hadn’t shifted his eyes from the back of the passenger seat, and with his hand on his shoulder, Barry could feel Wally shaking.

“I’m afraid I don’t believe you love. I know somethings up, what’s wrong?” the speedster pushed, sliding closer to hear the troubled kid beside him. Wally’s breathing hitched and the shaking picked up, he moved his stare from the car seat down to his lap.

“Where are we going?” He wheezed, not moving his eyes. 

“Home. I just thought this was a good place to grab lunch.” Barry said, confused about how their location had freaked out his nephew, but was willing to let the story unfold. When he didn’t get any more than an “oh” in response, Barry pushed a little more.

“Do you not want lunch?” he asked, wondering if Wally was just overwhelmed from the crowds, loud music and the long morning of trying on clothes and shoes, and was just really ready to be back in his own space. Despite his thoughts, Wally was shaking his head, hands leaving his legs and grabbing his hair, breathing getting quicker and more desperate, and Barry recognized a bad anxiety episode. Reaching over, Barry unbuckled Wally’s seatbelt and pulled him into his lap, rubbing soothing circles on his back. When nothing worked, Barry tried a different approach, gently untangling Wally’s fingers from his hair, he started to talk Wally though.

“Wally, can you please follow my breathing?” he asked, guiding Wally’s hands to his own chest in hope that the youth wouldn’t pass out, all he got in return was a sob. Looking more closely at Wally’s hands, Barry could see that the child hand his nails so far embedded into his own skin that he was drawing blood, the realization that Wally was so far out of it that he was able to hurt himself and not even notice was unnerving.

“Hey now, none of that love.” Barry murmured, prying Wally’s hands open and holding them, so that even when Wally curled his hands back into fists, he wouldn’t be able to cut into his own palms. From there, Barry figured that the best thing to do was to just hold his nephew and wait for the fear to pass, and awkwardly shifted the child so that Wally was closer to him. Much to his surprise, Wally curled towards him, resting his head on Barry’s shoulder.

“That’s it love. You’re doing so well.” Barry whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of Wally’s head, feeling Wally’s heartbeat through his chest. Closing his eyes, Barry started to focus of the little boys heartbeat, waiting for it to slow down to a sustainable pace, then he waited for the sobs to turn to sniffles.

“There we go,” He said, taking one hand from Wally’s to wipe his tears, grateful that Wally trusted him enough to let him touch his face. Or maybe it was just exhaustion making him too tired to care, either way, Barry was grateful for it. “Feeling better sweet?”  
Wally shut his eyes and dropped his head, giving a little nod in response, Barry rummaged around the backseat a little until he found a bottle of water and some tissues, wetting them to wipe Wally’s cheeks. The silence existing between them wasn’t comfortable, at least not by Barry’s standards, as the scientist debated whether to ask about the panic attack or not. Figuring that he at least knew how to help and that knowing what caused it might prevent it from happening again, Barry brought up his question.

“What freaked you out Walls?” Barry asked, still cleaning the tears from Wally’s face. Instantly, Wally went from slightly uncomfortable, to deer in the headlights.

“I-I’m sorry, it won’t ha-happen again! I pro-prom-promise!” Wally stammered, biting his lip.

“No, no! Wally, sweetheart, I’m not angry, I just want to know what got you so worked up!” Barry reassured, capping the water bottle and putting the tissues beside him. Wally didn’t look every convinced. "I promise I won’t get mad at you.”   
Wally looked so far downward that his chin was resting on his chest and muttered something that Barry couldn’t catch.

“Sorry, can you repeat that?” the hero pushed, praying for an answer

“I am hungry.” Wally whispered eyes still shut tight against embarrassment or tears, Barry couldn’t figure out. He also couldn’t figure out why his hunger had made Wally that upset.

“I don’t understand.” Barry admitted. Wally swallowed hard, bottom lip starting to tremble and Barry felt is own uncertainty flare up. “Hey it’s alright, babe, no need to cry, can you just explain why that made you so worked up?”

“I-I-I mouthed off, and now I’m in tro-trouble, I’m sorry, I can’t- I shouldn’t’ve talked back, now I cant eat, I’m sorry, I won’t do it again, plea-“ 

“Hey, hey, hey! Take deep breath.” Barry commanded, the pieces of the puzzle starting to fall into place. 

‘He thinks he isn’t allowed to eat because he asked me a question.’ Barry thought, rubbing Wally’s back, noticing for the first time that he could feel the bumps on his spine to easily, moving his hand a little, felt how sharp his ribs were. ‘I’m going to kill Rudy.’ 

“Wally, can you look at me?” He asked, tilting the youths chin upwards, seeing him open his eyes. “Good. Sweetie, you aren’t in trouble, you’re allowed to ask questions.” Barry got a jerk of the head in response and continued.

“Okay. So, how about we go in, grab something to eat, and then we can head home, okay? I promise, you can get whatever you’d like.” To his relief, Wally smiled a little and nodded, slipping off Barry’s lap as the two made their way out of the car and towards the diner.

~~~~~~~~Later in the Evening~~~~~~  
Hal backed into the driveway and put the car in park, happy to be home after a long day at the airbase. Unbuckling his seatbelt and grabbing his bag, he got out of the car and made his way into the house. Instantly, he could smell the leftover seasoning from dinner, he knew that Barry and Wally ate before him, as he got home late.

“I’m home!” He announced, kneeling to untie his boots.

“In the kitchen!” Barry called from around the corner. Hal smiled, taking his shoes off and making his way further into the house, finding Barry at the sink, elbows deep in soapy water. Hal came up behind him and wrapped his arms around his lover’s waist, resting his chin on the top of Barry’s head, enjoying how the blond leaned back against him. Leaned, but didn’t relax, taking in Barry’s posture, Hal noticed he was tense, and that he was being very aggressive with the dishes. Something was clearly wrong with the speedster, taking a glance around, Hal realized that he couldn’t feel the gaze of his nephew on him and pulled away to figure out if he was out of sight.

“Wally’s asleep.” Barry said, his tone tight with anger, drawing Hal’s attention away from locating his nephew and back to the issue at hand.

“Is everything okay?” Hal asked, Barry always had a good hold on his emotions, for them to be this obvious, something was clearly wrong.

“Wally had a panic attack today.” Barry replied shortly, roughly placing the casserole dish in the drying rack. Hal felt his breathing get tighter as his mind raced through the scenarios that could have caused Wally to have a panic attack.

“What happened?” He demanded, tightening his grip on Barry’s waist, feeling Barry start to vibrate with anger.

“We got finished at the mall and I decided to take him Elsie’s, remember where we went on our first date? Well we get there and I noticed he was kind of out of it so I start asking him what was wrong and I guess that I mentioned not grabbing lunch and he started to hyperventilate! I’m serious, I thought he was about to black out, so I pulled him into a hug and then I noticed that he was clenching his fists so tight that he was cutting himself with his own nails! So I got that problem sorted out and he finally calmed down, so I started to try to get why he panicked out of him and he eventually said that he talked back to me, which he didn’t, and that I wasn’t going to let him eat, and I am going to kill Rudolph!” Barry seethed, words blurring together. Hal himself was trying contain his anger, Barry was still ranting.

“He thought I wasn’t going to feed him because he asked me where we were! That was a trained reaction Hal, he didn’t just pick that up! How often did Rudy not feed him because Wally was curious, He’s just a little boy Hal, he didn’t deserve-“ Barry broke off as his voice cracked, pressing his hand to his mouth. Hal pushed the anger down, putting his hands on Barry’s shoulders and spinning him around, pulling his husband close. Both of them drawing comfort from each other as the horror of Wally’s life washed over them once again.


	4. Their on my Side

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wally listens in to Hal and Barrys conversation and is surprised to find their on his side

Wally lay very still in his bed as he listened to the front door open, and his uncle announce himself. He waited with baited breath as wisps of conversation drifted through the floorboards, biting back his anxiety as h heard Barry start to get angry.

“Wally had a Panic attack today.” The disembodied voice of his uncle snarled, making the little boy flinch in his bed, tears springing to his eyes. He had thought that Barry wasn’t angry with him, had even promised that he wasn’t, but it appeared that he had lied, given how furious he sounded downstairs. Hals voice, at the very least, sounded calmer, but Wally couldn’t catch what he said. Silently climbing out of bed, Wally laid down on the floor and pressed his ear to it, desperate to listen in on the conversation.

“-started to hyperventilate- though he was going to black out-“ Barry’s voice snapped, floating up in bits and pieces from the downstairs kitchen.

“What Did I Tell you? They Don’t want you.” his fathers voice said from the back of his mind, Wally shook his head to clear his thoughts and pushed his attention back to the conversation downstairs.

“-clenching his fists so tight- cutting himself- his own nails! –ot that problem sorted out- finally calmed down, asked him what freaked him out- talked back to me. He thought I wasn’t going to let him eat!“ Wally didn’t need to hold his head to the floor anymore, Barry’s voice had risen to a shout. Wally closed his eyes, feeling his breathing dip out of control.

“I am going to kill Rudolph!” Wally sat bolt upright, distracted from his panic.

‘Wait, what?’ Wally thought, ‘are they on my side?’ Creeping to the door, Wally slowly turned the handle and pulled it soundlessly towards him, grateful that it didn’t squeak. The voices from down stairs sounded clearer now, and Wally could hear that someone was crying.

“-That was a trained reaction Hal! He didn’t just pick that up! How often did Rudy not feed him because Wally was curious? He’s just little boy Hal, he didn’t deserve-“ A choked sob made its way up the stairs, and Wally walked, stunned back to his bed.

‘They’re on my side.’ He thought, not sure what to make of that. 

‘No, no their not. Why would they take your side? You deserved what you got and you know it!” His father screamed in his head, the quiet noise pounding in his ears. The red head laid down on his bed, turned his eyes toward his still-open door.

“No I didn’t.” He whispered to the voice, “Or they wouldn’t have taken me from you.” Wally waited for a response, and smiled to himself when he didn’t get one.  
~~~~~~  
Barry and Hal stayed in an embrace for a few minutes, waiting patiently for the other to take back the reins of their emotions before releasing. Hal stepped back, wiping some stray tears from his eyes.

“Okay, let you and me finish the dishes, then head to bed.” He suggested, as Barry finished composing himself.

“Hal, it’s only eight fifteen!” Barry said with a teary laugh, cheeks still stained red from tears. Hal nodded, and then shrugged.

“So we can watch a few episodes of Looney Tunes on my personal laptop.” The pilot said, nudging the blond a little to get to the sink. “I’ll wash.”  
Barry rolled his eyes and snickered a bit, before reaching over to pick up the towel, the two of them working together in a comfortable silence before Hal spook.

“It might be a good idea to seek professional help.” He suggested quietly, eyes not leaving the pan he was scrubbing at, though out of his peripheral he noticed that Barry had nearly dropped the dish he was drying.

“You think we should take Wally to a therapist?” He asked, turning to place the dish safely in the cupboard.

“Well yes, but I also meant for us.” 

“Why do we need help?” Barry questioned. Hal took a deep breath, thinking hard about his words.

“Babe, when I got home, you were so upset that you were nearly breaking the dishes. And it’s only going to get worse from here, Wally has a lot of scars and some of them we can’t see. I know that we want to be there for him, and we absolutely should be, but we also need to take care of ourselves! What if today, you slipped into relative time? Or what happens if Wally lets something slip in front of me and I lose control of the rings full powers? One of us could get hurt, we could hurt Wally, and we could reveal ourselves to the whole public.” Hal was slightly out of breath by the time he was done, and near tears once again, but to his relief, Barry seemed to be putting real thought into his words, nodding his head slightly.

“Okay, I agree, but, I also think we should look around for support groups. We can’t be the only people struggling to help abused children, and maybe others who have gone through the same struggle could give us some pointers.” Hal smiled, happy that he had married a man who didn’t immediately get defensive thinking that Hal was criticizing him.

“I was also thinking; it might be a good idea to introduce Wally to Roy.” Hal said, waiting for Barry to be shocked and wasn’t disappointed.

“Why? Wally’s eight and Roy’s twelve.” Barry pointed out. Hal shrugged.

“Well, Roy was in the foster care system for years before Ollie took him in and he bounced a lot. Dinah let slip that Roy told her some of his foster parents hit him. I don’t know, I was just thinking he might be able to understand Wally’s feelings better than we can.” Hal swallowed a lump I his throat, wondering how anyone could ever hurt a kid, and why it felt like it was happening to every kid he knew, while Barry was nodding.

“Okay, fine, but if I hear that Roy’s teaching Wally to swear or any other nonsense, I’m putting an end to it.” Barry threatened, eyes downcast on the remaining dishes left to be dried.

“Deal.” Hal smirked, finishing up the last pan and started helping Barry put things away, and the silence resumed once more. When they had finished cleaning the kitchen, Barry wrapped his arm around Hals waist, leaning against him, Hal smiled, and draped an arm over his shoulder. 

“Ready for bed, love?” Hal asked, feeling the news of the day weighing on his mind, draining his energy. He could feel Barry nod against his chest, and started towards the stairs, awkwardly climbing the stairs while both men were still pressed together. When they got to the top of the stairs, Barry turned away from their bedroom and crept toward Wally’s room.

“What are you doing?” Hal whispered, hoping to not disturb Wally, Barry just shrugged off the question and started to gently push the door further into the dark room.

“I just want to check up on him.” He whispered back, slipping into the child’s room. Curiosity getting the better of him, Hal wandered over to the doorway and took in the sleeping child on his bed. Wally wasn’t under his covers, they were kicked back, like he had been too tired to pull them over himself.

“Tuck him in.” He suggested from the door, while Barry knelt beside the bed.

“He might be to hot.” Barry argued, not taking his eyes off his nephew, Hal snorted.

“The kid’s skin and bones, I guarantee that he isn’t hot.” Barry nodded, and carefully maneuvered his sleeping child so he could pull the blankets up, tucking them in around his shoulders and brushing a hand lightly over his cheek. 

“Good night kiddo, I love you.” Barry whispered, pressing a light kiss to Wally’s forehead before standing up and walking to the door, both speedster and lantern standing for a moment to take in the dark room.

“Love you Wally.” Hal whispered to the darkness, and both he and Barry left, Hal pulling the door closed behind him. Hal was lost in thought all the way to the bedroom, mechanically showering, brushing his teeth, and putting on boxers, smiling as he watched Barry slip an old tee shirt over his head. Drawing back the covers, Hal climbed into bed and plugged his phone into its charger while Barry did the same on his side, pulling the blond closer, Hal said.

“I was talking to Ollie earlier.” 

“Oh, how is he?” Barry questioned, getting comfortable against his lover’s chest, lacing their fingers together.

“He’s well, he was wondering if we would be interested in coming up this weekend, it being a holiday and all.” The pilot answered.

“He knows we would have to bring Wally, right?” Barry asked, as more of a joke than a serious question.

“Yeah, he actually specifically mentioned Wally, saying that he wants to meet his new nephew.” Hal retorted, squeezing Barry’s hand.

“I don’t see any issue, but we should probably tell Ollie that if he’s really forward and just starts calling Wally his nephew that he’ll probably get freaked out.” Barry warned, knowing that Wally would be incredibly intimidated by Oliver’s boisterous personality. 

“Yeah, I warned him about that already, I also asked if Roy would be cool to hang out with Wally for a little bit. You know how older kids can be with younger ones, just wanted to make sure I wasn’t stepping on his toes, and Ollie said that Roy’s been pretty excited about having Wally come over, guess he’s got some new video game that has a multiplayer setting he wants to try.” Hal laughed, remembering how Ollie had told him Roy was practically begging to have Wally come over for a while. Barry smiled, shifting in place to get comfy.  
“Alright, sure, let’s go hang out with the Greens this weekend. I’ll talk to Wally tomorrow, hopefully he’ll be excited. Oh by the way, guess what?” Barry asked, a devilish grin spreading across his face as he remembered a part of his morning.

“What?” Hal asked, glancing down at the scientist.

“Wally’s a Flash fan.” Barry gloated, causing Hal’s face to fall.

“No. Not my nephew, you’ve corrupted him somehow, I know it.” Hal gasped, faking a sob.

“Yep, told me this morning. You loose Jordan.” Barry giggled, gasping when Hal grabbed him and rolled to look him in the eye from above him.

“It may be too late for you, but I’ll get Wally liking Green Lantern soon enough.” He teased, face so close to Barry’s that their noses were touching, both of them biting back smiles with varying degrees of success.

“Do your worst.” Barry challenged, lifting his hand to run through Hals brown hair. Both of them laughed, Hal falling back to his space, Barry resuming his place with his head on Hal’s chest, though not before leaning over him to switch off the lamp, both of the relaxing and drifting off to sleep.  
~~~  
Wally nearly cried when he heard the door of his room being open, and he heard footsteps on the hardwood of his floor.

“I just want to check on him.” Wally summoned every piece of self-control he had to feign sleep, keeping his breathing slow and his eyes closed lightly despite how freaked out he was. He heard Barry coming closer to his bed and kneel next to it.

“Tuck him in.” A voice called from where Wally assumed was the hallway. 

“He might be to hot.” Uncle Barry said. Wally was almost relieved when Hal said something he couldn’t catch, and then Uncle Barry was pushing an arm under him and lifting him up to move the covers before putting him back down and cocooning him in the blankets. Though Wally was grateful for them, both for the warmth, and so that neither adult could see how his hands were shaking, or how they suddenly stopped when a hand began to brush over his face.

“Goodnight Wally, I love you.” Uncle Barry whispered, carefully kissing his forehead before getting up to leave. Wally listened to the footsteps until they stopped, and Hals voice from the hallway called.

“Love you Wally.”

Vaguely hearing the door close, Wally waited until he could hear them in their room before he opened his eyes and checked his clock, waiting for them both to be asleep.

“They love me.” Wally thought, surprised at how good it felt in his heart to have heard the words. ‘Even though I freaked out on Barry, they love me.’

When eleven o’clock finally rolled around, Wally crept from his bed and down the hall, pasted the stairs. The door to the master bedroom was ajar, making it easy to slowly enter the room, though rather than stay by the door, Wally made his way to the bed, seeing the two adult’s up-close. Swallowing his fear, Wally carefully climbed up on the bed, listening for any noise either made, before curling up near Barry’s midsection, between him and Hal.

“Thank you for holding me.” He breathed to the sleeping man. Wally stayed still on the bed for another fifteen minutes before leaving to go back to his bed, careful to leave the door in the same position he found it in, happy now that he had thanked his uncle.  
~~~~~  
Hal’s eyes snapped open as he heard Wally leave and the door close. He smiled a bit to himself, a plan to talk to the child already forming in his head. Pulling Barry close, he drifted back to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys are enjoying this, as always I love to hear from you guys, so leave a comment down below. also I thought I would give you guys some fluff after the last chapters angst. I've been debating whether to add superbat or wonderbat, what do you guys think?


	5. Day With Hal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry gets called into work, so Hal spends the day with Wally

Chapter 5

Hal groaned as an incessant beeping woke him up. Rolling over, he went to turn off his alarm when he saw that it was only three thirty-six, so he wasn’t supposed to be up yet. Turning over again and raising himself up on his left arm, he could see Barry’s phone ringing on the bedside table. Fortunately, the other man was already working on turning it off.

“Somebody better be dead Carebear, it’s three in the fucking morning.” Hal growled, flopping onto his stomach and burying his face in the pillow, knowing Barry was rolling his eyes at him. Hal barely heard the conversation from Barry’s end, he just tried to focus on falling back asleep, when he felt more covers hit his back, looking up from his pillow he could see Barry climbing out of bed.

“You got your wish, three people found dead in an underground parking garage about fifteen minutes ago, pretty grisly.” Barry said, in total cop mode. Hal sat bolt upright, wide awake.

“Babe, you know I was joking about wanting people dead.” He said, slightly guilty that he had wished harm on people.

“Yeah, I know. Still apparently the guys on scene can’t figure out what weapon the guy used and the field officers are being useless help as per usual. Guess they were hoping for my expertise, all I’m saying is, if they messed up my evidence, heads are gonna roll.” The blond ranted, turning on the bathroom light and quickly brushing his teeth, his husband nodded and picked up his own phone.

“I’ll call Carol and let her know that I won’t be coming in today.” Hal said, quickly finding his bosses number in his contacts. In the bathroom, Barry froze.

“Oh crap, I forgot about Wally! I can call Andrez back and tell him I can’t come.” Barry said, smacking himself on the forehead, rushing back to the bed to grab his phone. Hal jumped out of bed and grabbed Barry around the waist.

“Ah ah, no. Carol already told me that she’s cool if I ever needed time off to help with Wally. You go, catch some killers, and I’ll take our nephew, who we’re raising together, to the park if the weathers nice.” Hal corrected, spinning Barry to face him, the smallest of the pair looking guilty, nose crinkled the way it always did when he was deep in thought, before he let out a breath.

“If you’re sure,” He drawled, “and so long as you promise to call me if something happens, or it gets to be too much, or you can’t find something, or-“ Hal pushed his lips against Barry’s, quieting the stream of words, and when he pulled back, Barry was silent.

“Bear, you act as though you don’t trust me to look after Wally. I can handle the kid love, after all, Green Lantern is a crowd favourite.” Hal said, grinning like the Joker, his brown eyes teasing. Barry rolled his eyes.

“Oh so that’s why you’re so eager to stay home! You want to corrupt our nephew?” He groaned, breaking away from Hal, racing to his side of their dresser and shuffling through it to find his uniform. Hal smirked and wandered over to the walk in, grabbing the white lab coat that’s always right next to the door for just such an emergency where Barry is strapped for time. Back towards the bed, Hal could see Barry shrugging on his near-famous sweater vest over his undershirt, before hopping around to get his socks on. 

“I’ll put a pot of coffee on for you.” Hal said, gently placing Barry’s coat on the still messy bed, and heading out the door. Once in the hallway, Hal walked past the stairs and towards Wally’s room, recalling the late night visit payed to them last night by the little red head. The door was almost completely closed except for a crack, which Hal nudged open and peeked inside. The room was dark, only a bit of light from the gap in the curtains letting light in from the streetlamps outside, casting a sliver of light on the lump on the bed beneath the window, covered in his blankets. Hal took a slow step forward, intentionally making a noise, checking for a reaction. When he got none, he nodded, happy that the commotion hadn’t woken Wally up, closed the door and back tracked to the stairs, quietly making his way down the stairs and turning into the kitchen. The coffee maker was ready to go, curtesy of a habit Barry got them into, after multiple mishaps when both of them were too tired in the morning to properly make a good pot, and either wound up with coffee that was way too strong, or mildly coffee flavoured hot water, and now all Hal had to do is flick the switch, before shuffling around the kitchen to grab some of the extremely high nutrients granola bars that Bruce whipped up for Barry, which keep him from going hungry and not seeming like he eats a suspicious amount in front of his colleagues. Shoving a handful into Barry’s lunch box, Hal put the box back on the top shelf of the pantry, heading to the fridge to grab some other foods. There was a rush of wind to his left, and Hal looked up, seeing Barry dressed and pouring a cup of coffee from the pot, despite there still being coffee dripping from the filter. 

“I made you a lunch, you heading out?” Hal asked, placing the lunchbox in Barry’s hand while the speedster grabbed his keys.

“Yeah, I gotta get to the industrial sector, and the longer the bodies are left on the pavement, the more likely they are to get contaminated.” The anthropologist replied, placing a kiss on Hal’s cheek before darting to the front entrance way to put on his shoes. Hal followed, leaning against the banister as he watched Barry tie his shoes, technically, but he wouldn’t be surprised if they were undone before the blond got to his car. As Barry finished mauling his shoelaces, he started rambling again.

“Hey, I know you’re okay taking care of Wally, but you havta remember that he’s really shy and might freak out if, well from anything. And he doesn’t eat much, or say much, or anything but he’ll drink water if you put it in front of him. And he’ll refill his own cup from the tap, so long as you give him the cup.” Barry said, clearly trying to pass on months’ worth of tricks he’s figured out to keep their nephew alive. Some of them Hal has heard, from their talks when Wally’s in bed, like the water cup trick, and others he had yet to hear, but there was no way that Barry’s going to pass on every scrap of knowledge as he’s headed out the door. So Hal started nodding, gently crowding Barry out the door.

“I know love, you’ve told me before. It’s one day, I can keep our kid alive. Now go on, before you miss your dead people.” Hal says. Barry smiled and nodded, letting Hal shove him out into the predawn, sneakers tapping on the stairs and he jogged to the driveway, hoping into his car and pulling out of the driveway towards the inner city. Hal watched until the car was out of sight before heading back inside and back to his room, shooting Carol a text explaining the situation, before sinking back into bed for a few more hours of sleep.

~~~~~~~~  
Wally blinked open his eyes, judging the time based on the light he could see from under the curtains shining on the wall. Rolling over, he could see the clock on his bedside table, reading six in the morning. Quietly, he slipped out of bed, creeping out of his room and to the stairs, climbing down them until he reached the end of the solid barrier, where it changed into carved wooden posts supporting the hand railing. Curling against it, Wally peeked around the wall, getting a good view of the living room slash kitchen, searching for Barry and Hal, but not finding anything. Wally leaned back, feeling anxiety well up in his chest, as he stood up and crept back up the stairs, this time heading to Hal and Barry’s room to see if they were still in there, only to find it empty.

‘Did they leave me?’ Wally thought, heading back to the stairs and heading down them, turning to head into the main room.

“Hey kiddo.” Wally jumped, his head turning quickly to see Hal leaned against the counter, a mug in one hand and his phone in the other. The older man raised the hand holding the phone.

“Easy there kid. Didn’t mean to scare ya like that.” He plaited. Wally nodded, glancing around the room, searching for Barry, noticing Hal following his gaze out of his peripheral vision.

“Barry got called into work, so I’m staying home with you today.” Hal supplied, whether guessing what Wally was thinking or just giving him information that he had. Wally nodded again, lowering his gaze to the floor, unsure what to do with himself. Back at the counter, Hal was shuffling around in the cupboards, placing things on the counters and opening the fridge. Glancing up, Wally could see a box of Frosted Flakes, two bowls, a milk pitcher, and a carton of juice.

“Hungry?” Hal asked, pouring a bit of the cereal into one of the bowls. Wally shrugged, ignoring the knots in his stomach that made the thought of eating unbearable, his uncle smiled, holding the milk bag and pouring some in with the cereal, grabbing a teaspoon out of the mug on the counter, and holding the breakfast out to the child. Wally hesitantly stepped forward, accepting the bowl and spoon, nearly crying with relief that there wasn’t an abundance of food in the bowl. Taking his breakfast over to the table, Wally carefully pulled two placemats from the pile in the tables center, placing one by the seat he normally sat in and another in the place Barry normally sat, not really sure where the other member of the house preferred to eat, as he hadn’t had a lot of meals with him. He didn’t have to wonder long, the pilot placing a glass of orange juice at Wally’s place, before sliding the other one to a spot across from Wally and setting his meal out in front of him. They ate in silence, not a comfortable silence, but silence, Wally forcing himself to chew and swallow the cereal, but pleasantly enjoying the juice. 

When both had finished their cereal, Hal scooped up the bowls, leaving Wally’s cup in front of him, and started putting the dishes in the dishwasher. Wally carefully grabbed the cereal box, rolling the bag down inside of it, and closing it before heading into the kitchen, looking at the cupboards above his reach, realizing that he had no idea where the box went. With a shaky breath, he turned to Hal.

“Where does the cereal go?” he asked, voice barely above a whisper, Hal looked over his shoulder, as if he was surprised to hear Wally speak.

“It goes in the cupboard beside the stove.” He answered, gesturing to the cupboard over the counter top and attached to the wall next to the stoves fan. Wally nodded, reaching up on his tiptoes, still not tall enough to grab on to the knob. With a quick side glance at Hal, Wally hoisted himself onto the counter, the cereal still in his hand.

“Careful.” Hal said, not moving from the dishwasher, content to keep an eye on the child, ready to catch him if he falls. He watched as Wally maneuvered the door open and puts the cereal back in its spot before closing the door and climbing down. As he did so, his shirt caught on the edge of the counter, riding up, allowing Hal a glance at the youngsters exposed skin. 

It wasn’t as though Hal hadn’t seen the scars before, he and Barry had had to clean the wounds while Wally was recovering, the horrible task of one holding the child while the other removed the bandages to clean under them. But somehow, it came as a shock to Hal to see the raised red scars on the little boy’s ribs, or maybe they just looked worse because of the bones jutting out from beneath them. Either way, Hal had to forcibly drag his gaze away from his kid, instead looking out the window over the sink.

“I was thinking that we could go to the park today, there’s one about five minutes from here that we can go to.” Hal suggested, getting a shrug from Wally, which is better than he expected, so he took it, waiting while he went up to his room to get dressed. When Wally came back down, dressed in jeans and a long sleeved tee shirt, a zip up hoodie on over it. He looked better than he had when his clothes were just whatever rags he had had in his dresser back at Rudy’s house. The pair headed to the front entrance, Hal smirking when he noticed that Wally’s sneakers were Flash themed, mentally making a note to get him something with Green Lantern on it.

The park Hal had mentioned really wasn’t that far away, as Wally found out when they arrived after less than ten minutes, it had pretty much the same stuff that Wally’s old school had on their yard, but instead of just being made out of generic metal, it was painted and colourful, and the slides were made out of plastic, overall, better than Wally had expected. The only problem was, there weren’t any other kids around, and Wally seriously doubted that the slides would be fun for very long, though a quick glance around solved that problem, as he spotted the swing set on the other side of the park.

“Can I go on the swings?” Wally asked, looking up at Hal hopefully, the older man nodded, and pointed to a nearby bench.

“Yeah, I’ll just be over there if you need anything.” He said, and the two went their own way, Hal sitting on the bench in a shaded spot, with a quick glance at his phone to see if he had any messages from Barry. Wally meanwhile, was content to be able to know where Hal was, keeping him in his direct line of sight while he got the plastic swing moving a bit. He didn’t really want to get too high, but he was happy to be outside.

Hal watched as Wally played, happy to see him smiling as he enjoyed the park. Taking a quick picture with his phone, he sent it to Barry. With a glance up, Hal noticed that there were clouds gathering overhead, which wasn’t really surprising, Central City was known for being rainy in the autumn season, and being that it was almost Thanksgiving, it was appropriate, still Hal was hoping that the weather would stay nice for a while, given how much Wally seemed to be enjoying the park.

After another twenty five minutes, it became obvious that the weather was turning sour, the air smelled like rain, and the wind had picked up a bit. Standing up, Hal started towards the swing set.

“Hey kiddo,” Hal called, getting Wally’s attention, “Looks like the weathers about to turn bad, so I was thinking we should head home.” Wally dragged his feet against the ground, slowing the swing to a stop and looked up, taking in the dark clouds and nodding. Climbing off the swing, Wally followed Hal, and right as they were at the edge of the park, felt a rain drop on the tip of his nose. Looking at Hal, it seemed he had also gotten hit.

“Well, looks like we’re leaving at the right time!” Hal teased, continuing to walk. Wally followed, almost having to trot to keep up with Hal’s strides. As they hurried down the sidewalk, the wind started picking up, almost pushing Wally over at the crosswalk, which was only avoided because Hal caught him around the chest. Looking up at the sky, Hal chewed the inside of his cheek, before kneeling down to Wally’s height.

“Hey kiddo, I know you really don’t like it when I touch you, but the weathers getting pretty bad, and I’m worried you’re gonna get blown away,” He said, shouldering off his jacket “I don’t want you to get hurt, so would you be okay if I picked you up, and I’ll carry you home. Would you be alright with that?” 

Wally faltered, torn between not really wanting to be touched, and also not enjoying the rough winds. Taking a deep breath, he nodded, quickly looking down at his feet. Hal moved fast, wrapping Wally up so that he was bundled in his jacket, before scooping him up, with the little boy’s head rested on his shoulder, covered in his coat. Through a small opening, Wally could see the rain get worse, though he felt none of it, just the jostling as his uncle took him home.

Hal scowled as the rain fell, quickly wetting his tee shirt. Crossing the street, he put a hand on Wally’s head over the flight jacket he usually wore, knowing that it would be keeping his kid dry. As the house came into view, Hal picked up the pace, jogging across the front lawn and under the roof of the front entry, moving his hand from Wally’s head to punch in the code to unlock the door and rushing into the house, kicking the door closed behind him. Sighing with relief, Hal gently lifted the edge of his coat to check on Wally, the little red head dry, as he had hoped.

“All good squirt?” He asked, smiling as Wally nodded, before putting the child down and detangling him from the coat.

“That’s good. I’m going to put the kettle on, then run upstairs to change, how bout you find us something to watch on the television?” He suggested, putting his jacket away in the closet and kicking off his shoes. The kid nodded, toeing off his own sneakers and heading into the living room, settling in on the sofa while Hal filled the kettle, before heading up to his room. As soon as he was there, Hal quickly striped out of his wet clothes and grabbed a clean change of clothes out from the dresser and threw them on, before heading back downstairs. Wally had found the sports channel, and Hal saw that there was apparently a hockey game going on, probably in Canada.

“You watch sports?” Hal asked, taking two mugs down from the cupboard and gathering hot chocolate powder, marshmallows, and spoons while he waited for the kettle to boil.

“Not really.” Wally answered, curled up against the arm of the couch with his eyes closed.

“Then why are we watching sports? And hockey, of all games?” Hal asked, turning against the counter and glancing into the living room at the blatant display of violence on the screen, to the crowds apparent delight.

“I, I thought maybe you liked sports.” Wally said, chewing on his bottom lip, opening his eyes to see Hal in the kitchen. His uncle shrugged and turned around as the kettle started whistling.

“Eh, I do enjoy sports, but I generally, as a rule, don’t watch hockey.” He said, pouring hot water over the cocoa powder and giving it a quick stir, before adding marshmallows.

“Why not?” Wally asked, sitting up a bit more as Hal finished making their drinks and carried them carefully towards the couch, setting them down on the slate coasters and sliding one over to Wally.

“If I wanted to watch some grown men beat the living snot out of each other over a piece of plastic, I would go back to Coast City and watch some of the surfers get into it.” Hal said, grabbing the remote and flipping to the cartoon channel, smiling when he saw that they we playing reruns of the Looney Tunes Show. Wally nodded, reaching for his mug as Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck argued over whether it was duck season or rabbit season. The two watched for a bit while sipping their drinks.

“May I ask a question?” Wally asked, setting his mug down and looking at his uncle, who looked a bit surprised.

“Of course.”

“How did you and Barry meet?” Hal smiled, leaning back against the couch with his cup in his lap.

“We had met briefly through mutual friends of ours, though we hadn’t really talked. Then the squadron I was in attended a charity event the Police were hosting and Barry was there. We were both a bit out of our element and were pretty happy to see a familiar face, so we spent the rest of the evening talking and hanging out together.” Hal recounted, still smiling.

“And then you started dating?” Wally asked. Hal shook his head.

“Oh no, we were friends for years before we started dating. It wasn’t until around the time that you had been born that we started dating, and Barry only announced our relationship to his family when you were three.” Hal said, Wally nodded.

“Why did Barry wait three years to tell his family?” Wally asked.

“Well, our relationship didn’t really get serious until a year in when I transferred from California to Central and we started spending more time together. After that, it was more about Barry not really feeling ready to come out to his family.” Hal said, twisting his wedding band around on his finger.

“Why wasn’t he ready?” Wally pushed, curious about the whole thing.

“He wasn’t sure about how they would take the news, though he was fairly certain that Iris had already guessed and Joe suspected, it was more your dad he was worried about than anything.” Hal replied easily, taking a sip from his hot chocolate.

“Why was he worried about my dad?” Wally whispered, though he felt like he already knew why.

“Your dad never really liked Barry from my understanding, and he had very different political views from the rest of the family. From what I gathered from Joe, Iris, and Barry, your dad was pretty openly against homosexuality even when he was a teenager.” Hal said, a grimace on his face, Wally nodded thoughtfully.

“But Barry told them anyway?” Wally asked, grabbing his mug again from where he had set it down.

“Yep. Your Aunt Iris and Grandpa Joe were pretty supportive, your dad responded pretty much how we thought he would.” Hal said, a light note in his voice, sounding as though he was happy.

“And then you got married?” Wally said, only for Hal to shake his head.

“We actually only got married a few months ago.” He corrected, returning to fiddling with his wedding ring.

“Why?” Wally asked, shocked that they hadn’t been married longer, for how they acted.

“It wasn’t really a priority for us, marriage isn’t really a big deal anymore, most people only do it for the benefits, and both of our jobs provide good enough benefits that there wasn’t really a financial reason to get married. We already knew we loved each other, a certificate wasn’t going to change that.” The pilot answered.

“If you didn’t want to get married, then why did you?” Wally asked.

“We wanted you.” Hal responded, giving him a warm smile. Wally felt a bit taken aback.

“You got married for me?” He clarified, not sure he was getting it, only to see Hal nod.

“Child Protective Services prefers it if children are placed with a married couple, I honestly don’t know why. Since we had been in a relationship for so long, we had a bit higher of a chance of getting to keep you, but we didn’t want to risk you getting placed with someone else, so we got married.” Hal recounted, looking at Wally, who could have sworn had tears in his eyes.

“Did you have a big wedding?” The little boy pushed, trying to imagine Hal and Barry in a church, with flowers and a big cake, surprised when Hal started to chuckle.

“No, quite the opposite actually, we got a courtroom wedding, a few of our close friends were there, and Iris and Joe signed as our witnesses, we didn’t have any vows or anything. Really all we did was sign a piece of paper.” Hal laughed. “We didn’t even have rings to exchange, we got those after we signed the papers to take you home.”

Wally gaped, almost unable to believe that they had gotten married for him, of all people, and he was desperate to hear more.

“Who proposed?” He pushed, sliding a bit closer to Hal.

“I did, and before you ask, no it was not romantic. I’m not even sure it really counts as a proposal, we were just in the hospital, and as I said, we didn’t have rings, so it was just me kneeling in a hospital conference room after your Aunt Iris nearly duked it out with the social services guys.” Hal said, closing his eyes like he was sleeping.

“Are you sad that you and Barry didn’t have a party?” Wally questioned.

“Oh we probably will have a service, nothing big, just some friends and family, probably just in the garden, but we’ll have a service nonetheless.” Hal stated, eyes still closed contently.

“When?” Wally pushed, nervous for any large amount of people he didn’t know to be all over the place.

“Oh not for a while I’d imagine, defidently in the late spring or early summer, it’ll be too cold for a garden party until then.” Hal reassured, opening his eyes a little, “Besides, Barry and I want you to be a bit more settled before we just start having people over in crowds.”

Wally smiled, relaxing a bit now that he knew that the house would continue to be quiet for a while longer, and went back to watching Bugs and Daffy jinx each other against the hunter. As soon as that episode finished, a new one started, this time with an old women, a yellow bird and a black cat, and soon Wally was back in his thoughts.

“Did you want to move to Central?” Wally burst out, mentally kicking himself for even asking, but Hal just nodded.

“Yeah, I wanted to be closer to Barry.” Hal responded, not seeming bothered by the question.

“I thought you said you were transferred from California?” Wally asked, confused about why the story sounded different.

“I was, but I requested the transfer.” Hal clarified, still relaxed with his eyes closed.

“So you left your home just for Barry?” Wally said, and Hal snorted.

“I would die for your Uncle Barry kid, and no, I didn’t move just for Barry. I didn’t really have any good friends in California like I had up here, and the only blood family I’ve got left is my brother, who I’m not on speaking terms with. I have a friend who lives one state over who basically is my brother. Really, my life has gotten so much better since I moved.” Hal said, opening his eyes and looking at Wally.

“Do you miss California?” Wally Inquired, turning to better look at his uncle.

“Sometimes, I really miss the warm weather, I’m not a big fan of the cold.” Hal said with a look of disgust, “If you really want a story about that, you should ask your uncle Barry when he gets home, because he can tell you all about my first winter up here.” 

Wally nodded, smiling as he thought about what might have happened to Hal during his first winter up in the Midwest. But also really curious about the friend in the next state, surprised he hadn’t heard about him before.

“Who’s your friend in the next state?” Wally asked, leaning back against the couch, the top of his head resting in the middle of it.

“Oliver Green, we met through weird circumstances and kept in touch. He was actually one of the few friends that came to our actual wedding, with his fiancé and their kid. He’s actually invited us up for the weekend, Barry was gonna talk to you about it today but he’s obviously not here to do it.” Hal explained, smiling at the memories.

“Are we going to go?” Wally questioned, getting a shrug from Hal.

“We might, depending on when Barry gets off this case, we already talked about introducing you to our friends and we agreed that we would both be there when introducing you to new people, so that you could always have two safety nets to fall back on if things get to be too much.” His uncle explained, grinning at Wally, who flushed and looked away.

“When’s Uncle Barry gonna be home?” Wally asked, still blushing a bit.

“He’ll probably come home later this evening, but how long he’ll stay home for is anyone’s guess when he gets cases like these, he pretty much just comes home for a quick bite to eat, a shower, and some sleep and then heads out again to help on the case.” Hal said, checking his watch.

“But he is coming home, right?” Wally asked, trying to keep the desperation out of his voice.

“Yeah, of course he is. He always comes home, we just have to be patient is all” Hal reassured, reaching over to gently pat Wally’s leg, the two of them watching the shenanigans on the screen with varying degrees’ of interest.


	6. Sick Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> so! funny, but not really funny story, my internet has been shit for the whole fucking new year, and shows no sign of getting better, which means that when chapters come, they will likely come in multiples rather than roughly one a week like I've been hoping to do. sorry for any inconvienience.

Barry pulled into the driveway late, the clock on the radio saying it was almost nine o’clock in the evening, and he had to forcibly drag himself out of the car and into the house, bumping right into Hal. The pilot had two of the high nutrient granola bars in his hand, offering one to Barry, who took it with relish. The two maneuvered up the stairs, careful to not wake their kid up, once they got to their room, Barry headed to the bathroom to take a shower while Hal rummaged through their dresser finding an old tee shirt and a pair of boxers, opening the door to the bathroom and placing the clothes on the closed toilet seat for the speedster when he was done in the shower.

Hal heard Barry come into the bedroom before he saw him, normally, the blond was pretty light on his feet, but fatigue was making him clumsy and he was tripping over his feet. Finally stumbling over o the bed, Barry collapsed onto it face first, all dignity forgotten, causing Hal to chuckle.

“Long day?”

“The longest, guess what?”

“What?” Hal asked amicably, leaned against the headboard of the bed. Barry turned his head to look at his partner from his pillow, with a mix of rage and exhaustion on his face.

“The field officers messed with my fucking evidence.” He mumbled, Hal threw his head back and laughed. The fact that the field officers had no idea how not to muck up the evidence was a long running joke among Barry and his coworkers, which Hal had heard when he had attended a dinner party with Barry hosted by one of the other lab techs, and it had become a joke for the couple as well. 

“Did you figure out what weapon the guy used, or is that still a work in process?” Hal asked, putting a hand in Barry’s hair and running his fingers through the golden locks.

“Yeah, he used a broken tree branch, spruce from the look of it, which is honestly a new one.” Barry answered, rolling onto his back and shifting so his head was in Hal’s lap.

“Did you figure out who killed them?” Hal asked, his left hand going to Barry’s upper arm and the other going to his hair again.

“Yeah we did, and it wasn’t that hard, the guy wasn’t inconspicuous, he was on all sorts of cameras, he didn’t conceal his face, diffidently not a professional killer by any stretch of the imagination. How was your day?” 

“It was good. Took Wally to the park, got rained on getting home, made us both some hot chocolate, and He had some questions.” Hal responded, Barry’s eyes shooting open at that last part.

“He spoke to you?”

“Yes.”

“He asked you questions?”

“Yes?”

“Wallance West, our nephew, willingly asked you questions, on his own accord?” 

“Babe, I’m starting to think that you don’t believe me.” Hal chuckled, squeezing Barry’s arm.

“It’s not that I don’t believe you, it’s just that he’s never done that with me before.” Barry reassured, lifting his own had to place over Hal’s.

“Well it did throw me off a bit, not gonna lie, I was shocked.” Hal said.

“What did he ask about?” Barry asked

“He asked about how we met, when we started dating, why we got married, Ya’know, stuff kids normally ask their parents.” Hal replied. 

“What did you tell him?”

“That we met through mutual friends, that I moved up here to be closer to friends and to you, I told him we got married a few months ago to get custody over him, and how we probably will have a service in the spring or summer, after we get him settled.” Hal responded, thinking back to the conversation earlier that afternoon. “He also had some questions about Oliver and if I wanted to leave California. Nothing really big.”

Barry sat up a little, blue eyes glazed a bit.

“Oh shit, Ollie! I was going to tell him about our plans to go spend the weekend with his family today!” Hal chuckled, carefully pushing Barry back into his lap, tracing his cheek with his thumb.

“Shh love, it’s alright, I told him that they had invited us this afternoon.” Hal soothed. Barry relaxed again, turning his head a bit so he was facing the door.

“How did he take the news?” Barry questioned, still looking at the door leading to the hallway.

“He did not voice any complaints. That being said, I also told him it was dependant on whether you were done your case. I also informed him of our plan to introduce him to our friends with both of us around so he always has two people in his corner.” Hal replied, shifting so that Barry’s head wasn’t at such an awkward place.

“Probably a good idea,” Barry agreed, lifting his head up slightly to allow Hal to get comfy, “I really want him to know he can count on us.”

“I think he already does, at least a little.” Hal confided, lifting Barry off of him and moving to draw back the covers, both Lantern and Speedster slipping into bed and laying down facing each other, Hals back towards the door to the hallway.

“What makes you say that?” Barry inquired, drawing the covers up to his chin.

“He climbed into our bed last night.” Stated Hal, finding Barry’s hand under the covers and holding it tight. His partner looked surprised at the news.

“He did? When?” 

“Close to midnight. I think you’re right about him being a bit more open to you. He curled up next to you and thanked you for holding him. After that, he just lay with us for about twenty minutes before leaving again.” Hal recounted, going mostly on what he’d heard and a little bit on what he had been able to see through the darkness. 

“Holding him? When did I hold him?” Barry wondered aloud.

“My best guess would be when he panicked, you mentioned pulling him into your lap.” The pilot guessed, getting a dry chuckle from Barry.

“I wouldn’t exactly have called that ‘holding’ it felt a lot more like restraining.” Barry mumbled sarcastically, though Hal could tell from the tears in his eyes that there was a hurt below the surface that he wasn’t revealing.

“Babe, when do you suspect he was held at Rudy’s house? Mary didn’t. Rudy diffidently never held his own son. The only other adult that came to the house was Iris, and that was only every other holiday. Even if you were barely touching him, that contact had to be amazing. You’ve said it yourself, humans are wired to be near other humans, and he hasn’t had that in a very long time. You gave him something he didn’t even realise he wanted.” Hal rambled, feeling sleep crowd his vision, but happy to see his husband smile.

“How about this, we’ll pick a night, preferably after we go to the Greens, if you’re feeling up to it this weekend, and you and I will stay awake and see if he comes in?” Hal suggested, getting only a murmer from Barry as they both drifted off to sleep.

~~~~~~~

Wally woke up feeling pretty good, the injuries on him had healed to the point that it no longer hurt to move or lay down, and he had had an easier rest than he could ever remember having before. Sitting up, Wally peeked out of his window, seeing that it was raining pretty hard. Crawling out of bed, Wally tiptoed out of his room and over to his uncles, peeking through the cracked door to see if Barry was home, grinning when he noticed that he was, before sneaking back to his room to avoid them noticing.

Barry came to with a pounding head ache. Rolling over, he grabbed his phone and quickly unlocked it, immediately seeing that there was a thunderstorm on its way, which explained why his head hurt. Shifting over, he noticed that Hal was still in bed, despite it being six in the morning, meaning Hal was going to be late. Quickly shaking his shoulder, Barry started trying to wake up his lover.

“Hal! Hal, wake up! You’re late!” Barry whispered, the headache making the quietest noises seem too loud. Hal just shifted away from him without really waking up.

“No, I’m not. I told Carol I was taking a few days off so you wouldn’t have to worry about Wally when you were working your case.” He mumbled into his pillow. Barry nodded, before laying back down and throwing his arm over Hal, nuzzling into him to try to distract from the migraine growing in his brain. Hal rolled over, pulling Barry into his chest and under his chin.

“Headache?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay.” Hal said, running his fingers up and down Barry’s back, listening to the other man try to relax despite the pain. When it crossed Hal’s mind that Wally was likely up, but wouldn’t eat unless given permission, Hal pulled back, enticing a minute whimper from his partner.

“I know love, I’ll be right back. I’m just going to make sure Wally eats something, I’ll bring you back some tea.” Hal reassured, swiftly throwing on a tee shirt and quietly leaving the room and making his way past the stairs towards Wally’s room, gently knocking and waiting for the child to answer. The door opened and the red head peeked out, looking up at Hal from behind the door.

“Hey squirt, I’m gonna make some breakfast, if you wanted to follow me downstairs.” Hal waited for his nephew to nod before leading the downstairs to the kitchen, immediately filling the kettle and flicking it on, then grabbing a variety of berries from the fridge. Wally stood beside him, keeping a close eye on what he was doing, before speaking up.

“Is Uncle Barry home?” He asked, hoping that he hadn’t been seen peeking in through the door of their room.

“Yes he is, but he has a really bad headache, so we’ll probably just have a lazy day at home.” Hal answered, grabbing a bowl from the cupboard and tossing a variety of berries into it. The kettle started to whistle, but before Hal could turn it off, he heard a rush of footsteps and retching from upstairs. Abandoning the tea, he pushed the bowl of fruit into Wally’s hands and turned towards the stairs.

“Stay in the kitchen.” He commanded, rushing from the room, taking the stairs two at a time. Wally stood still, shaking a bit from uncertainty. Hal had said that Barry wasn’t feeling well, but not that it was that bad. He had also told him to stay in the kitchen, so even though Wally figured that he just meant to not follow him upstairs, he didn’t want to risk disobeying, a habit that was enrooted deep in his mind, he just stood at the counter, to eat his berries.

Hal flew into the bedroom and immediately went past the bed and to the adjoining bathroom. He found Barry kneeling beside the toilet, on hand grasping the sink counter beside him, the other keeping his hair out of his eyes. He was pale, and Hal could see even from a distance that he was trembling. Hal walked over and knelt beside his lover, putting a hand on his back and rubbing circles on it as Barry leaned forward and retched again. When he leaned back, panting and gasping, Hal carefully pressed a kiss to his forehead.

“Man, you are having one shitty day.” He whispered, getting a glare in response.

“Watch your mouth, Wally might hear you.” He gasped, still trying to get his breath back, while Hal shook his head.

“He won’t, I told him to stay downstairs.” Hal reassured, wrapping an arm around Barry’s torso when the other man tried to stand up. “Do you wanna shower, or just head back to bed?”

“Just to bed, please.” Barry moaned. The two quietly made their way to the bed, and Hal helped Barry lay down, carefully sitting beside him.

“Do you want me to grab you gravel or something? I almost have tea done downstairs, but I can grab you something else if you’d like.” Hal offered, mindful of how loud his voice was, knowing that when Barry’s head starting to hurt like this, even hushed noises sounded too loud.

“No, thank you love.” He responded, eye’s closing. Hal nodded and stood up, pulling the white sheet up over his partner before heading back downstairs, surprised to find Wally at the counter rather than at the table, but before he could ask, the kid spoke up.

“Is Uncle Barry okay.” Hal smiled a bit, returning to the tea he had been in the process of making.

“He will be. He’s feeling a bit crumby right now.” Wally nodded and placed his bowl down on the counter, moving closer to Hal and the tea he was working on.

“Did he get sick from work? I learned in science last year that bodies can make people really sick, and Uncle Barry works with dead bodies.” Hal had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. He knew Wally was smart, and he was happy that the kid felt comfortable enough to share his worry, but it was still a bit humourous.

“No, he didn’t. There’s a thunderstorm on its way and those always give him migraines. You’re right though, rotting bodies can make people sick, but Barry generally doesn’t work directly with the bodies, and they aren’t normally at the stage where they could make people sick.” Hal reassured, nudging the teabag in the water with a spoon to make it steep faster. It was a cheaters way of making tea, but he was in a bit of a hurry. Wally was nodding beside him, seemingly in agreement with what Hal had said. As the tea reached the colour Hal wanted it to be, he scooped out the teabag and tossed it in the trash, grabbing the mug and heading out to leave the kitchen. Reaching the stairs again, he took them slower than he previously had, careful not to spill any of the hot liquid on himself. Making it safely back to his room, Hal placed the steaming cup on the bedside table next to Barry, whose breathing had evened out, indicating that he was asleep. Hal leaned over and kissed his head gently, before heading back downstairs, where Wally was still at the counter.

“Hey squirt, ya wanna bring you’re bowl over to the coffee table and we can find something on T.V?” Hal suggested, quickly fixing himself a bowl of cereal. Wally nodded and the two went back to the spots they had sat in the previous day, Hal flicking on the television, and cartoons lighting up the screen, though Hal immediately turned it down, glancing up as if trying to see Barry through the ceiling. When nothing happened, Hal put the remote down and relaxed back against the couch, taking a bite from his cereal. 

The two stayed like that for an hour before Hal stood up and took his bowl into the kitchen, rinsing it and putting it in the dishwasher, before taking the blueberries out of the fridge and putting a meagre handful in a clean dish.

“I’m gonna go check on your Uncle, okay kid?” Hal informed, putting the fruit back in the fridge. Looking back in at Wally, he could see the child nodding, content to spend his day inside.

“Come get me if you need something okay? And you’re very welcome to come join us upstairs.” Hal said, before disappearing up to the bedroom. Barry was still dozing, but Hal noticed that the tea had had a few sips taken from it. Pulling his work laptop out from the bedside table drawer on his side of the room, Hal loaded up some paperwork he had been meaning to get done, and set to work, his husband still sleeping beside him.

~~~~~  
Wally crept up the stairs and towards the master bedroom, peeking in through the open door to see Hal sitting up in bed, Barry using his lap as a pillow. The two were talking, though about what, Wally couldn’t hear. It wasn’t until Hal looked up from Barry and called to him, that Wally found out.

“Come join us Wally, we were hoping to talk to you anyway.” Hal called, and Wally mentally kicked himself, hating his own stupidity for trying to spy on them when they were both awake. Nevertheless, an order was an order, and Wally wasn’t about to start disobeying an adult, so he dragged his feet over to their bed, eyes down the entire time. When he made it to the edge of the bed, he froze, unsure of whether they wanted him up on it or not, but he didn’t get time to ask, before Hal gently scooped him up and placed him on the edge of the bed. Looking over, Wally could see that Barry’s eyes were partially closed, and his one hand was resting on his forehead, blocking out whatever excessive light there was in the shadowed room. Hal placed one hand lovingly on Barry’s cheek, before jumping right in.

“Wally, do you remember the friend I told you about yesterday? The one in the next state.” Hal asked.

“The one that’s like your brother?” Wally clarified, trying not to stare at the intimacy of how close Barry and Hal were to each other, while Hal nodded.

“Yeah, that guy. Well, you remember how I told you he invited us up for the weekend, right?” Hal continued, waiting for Wally to nod before going on with his talk. “Barry and I were thinking it would be fun to go, but we wanted to make sure that you’re up for it.” Hal finished. Wally felt his heartbeat speed up, knowing that, clearly, Hal wanted to go, and the two had already been so nice to him. Biting his tongue, Wally nodded, immediately getting a smile from Hal.

“Great, glad you’re feeling up to it kiddo! I’ll shoot Ollie a text to let him know, and we can leave by tomorrow evening!” Hal said, getting a soft chuckle from Barry. Out of habit, Wally moved his thumb up to his mouth and started knowing on the nail.

“Is Uncle Barry coming?” He whispered, Barry had seemed pretty sick, judging by how Hal had been acting earlier, and he wasn’t sure how the weekend would go if one of the few people he kind of trusted wasn’t there.

“I’m coming to Wally, don’t worry.” Wally looked up as Barry spoke, a little above a mumble, not moving his hand from his head. Wally just nodded, trying to keep calm as he thought about how this weekend would go, not at all excited.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I have always had this idea that thunderstorms give Barry really bad migraines, either because of the lightning stick or the speedforce, I'm not sure yet. I am also only going off of what I feel when I get migraines. some of you may also remember that I asked a few chapters back if I should add SuperBat and I haven't really gotten a response. Just drop me a comment letting me know what you want.


	7. Visits and Misunderstandings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Allen-Jordans go to visit the Greens for the weekend and a misunderstanding comes to lights

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So! this chapter is really long, sorry not sorry about that. I hope you guys enjoy. The overall consensus from you all has been that you would enjoy superbat so I'll work on that!

The car pulled up the paved driveway, jostling the passengers inside, Wally looked through the windows at the well-manicured lawn, staring with awe at the tall iron wrought gate that opened as they approached, twisting in his seat to see it close behind them after they were through. Turning to look ahead, Wally could see a gorgeous house, made from old stone with ivy growing up some parts of it, as Hal turned into the circular driveway, he could make out three people standing at the front door. As soon as the car was parked, Hal and Barry unbuckled their seat-belts and swiftly climbed out, Hal rushing to a blond haired man with a goatee, the two of them clasping hands and pulling each other into a tight hug while a beautiful blonde haired woman greeted Barry with a short hug and a peck on the cheek. Wally slowly unclasped his seat-belt, delaying a meeting for as long as he could, the second he stepped out of the car, the man with the goatee noticed, grinning widely and gesturing to him.

“This must be the nephew I’ve been hearing so much about!” He exclaimed, taking a few more steps towards him and crouching down, Barry walking around the car to stand behind Wally and putting a light hand on his shoulder.

“Yes, he is. Ollie, this is our nephew Wally,” Barry said, kneeling down to be at his nephew’s height and nodding to the man in front of them. “Wally, this is our friend Ollie, his fiancé Dinah, and their son Roy.” 

The woman, Dinah, smiled and waved a bit while a boy who looked to be older than Wally raised his hand in acknowledgement from the front door. Wally nodded and returned his gaze to Ollie, forcing a smile onto his face and raising his hand in a quick wave.

“Nice to meet you.” He said, noticing Dinah coming over to stand beside her partner and extending her hand to him.

“Hello Wally, it’s nice to finally meet you, I’ve heard so much about you.” She said, her long hair slipping over one of her shoulders as Wally timidly shook her hand. Ollie straightened up, breezing over to the trio and clapping Hal on the shoulder.

“Well, intros have been fun! Come on you three, let’s get your stuff inside!” He declared, playfully snatching the car keys from Hal and popping the trunk, shouldering one bag and holding another like a football, Barry rolled his eyes and went to help, his hand leaving Wally’s shoulder. Grabbing his own bag out of the backseat, Wally followed the rest of the crowd into the house, quietly marveling at the fancy décor that finished the house, trying to keep track of how to get to the front door as Ollie led them through a maze of hallways, finally settling in a casual looking sitting room, decked out with couches, some coffee tables, and a huge fireplace, already ablaze with a roaring fire, casting the whole room with a warm orange tinge. 

“Hey.”

Wally jumped, spinning around to face the other boy, who held his hands up, trying to be nonthreatening. 

“Whoa, easy man, didn’t mean to scare ya. Come on, let’s go up to my room.” He said, gesturing to the hallway they had just come from. Wally bit his lip, glancing at the adults behind them, who didn’t seem to be paying attention to the kids.

“Shouldn’t we stay with the adults?” Wally asked, readjusting his backpack to fit more comfortably on his shoulder. Roy shrugged, not really seeming bothered by whether or not his parents knew where he was.

“Not really, so long as we stay on the grounds, they don’t really care.” He said. Seeing that his guest didn’t seem convinced, he pushed further. “You can stay with them if you want, but all they’re gonna talk about is boring grownup stuff.” 

Nodding slowly, Wally cast one more look over his shoulder at his uncle’s. Roy broke into a smile and turned, waving his hand for Wally to follow him back down the hallway, quickly turning back when they got to the doorway.

“Hey Ollie! I’m taking Wally to my room!” He called, getting a thumbs up from Ollie and a ‘have fun’ from Hal. The older redhead shot Wally an ‘I told you so’ look, before guiding him down the hallway, walking so fast Wally had to trot to keep up with him. As the two came to a dead end, Roy turned and pushed open a door, revealing a spacious room. Looking around, Wally could see a shelf full of trophies, though for what, he couldn’t make out, in the far corner, there was an unmade bed with red and black sheets, on the wall across from it, there was a television, with a game console hooked up and numerous disks littered on the stand. Roy closed the door behind him, stalking over to the bed and hastily making it, grabbing some pillows from under it and tossing them onto the bedspread.

“Just toss your bag anywhere.” He told Wally, waving him over to the bed and firing up a game. Creeping over to the bed, Wally put his bag on the floor and leaned against the mattress, watching the screen as Roy expertly loaded up the settings for the game he wanted.

“You can come up on the bed, if you want.” Roy said, not looking up from his game. Wally nodded his thanks and climbed up, careful not to jostle Roy, and settled on the very edge, trying not to take up too much space. Roy leaned over, grabbing two remotes from the bedside table and turning them on, handing one to Wally.

“Ever played Mario Kart before?” He asked. Wally shook his head, getting a single nod from the older boy.

“Figured. I’ll teach you, it’s pretty fun.” The other boy said, showing the younger child the controls and helping him choose a character and a kart. The first round was uneventful, mostly just Roy giving Wally instructions, and Wally falling off the map a lot. The next few rounds were similar, but by the sixth game, Wally had a better handle on things and was starting to have fun with it, he certainly wasn’t winning, but he wasn’t in last place either. 

As Roy crossed the finish line in first place, he let out a whoop, throwing his fist in the air. Wally flinched backward, losing his balance and slipping off the bed. Roy acted fast, wrapping an arm around Wally’s waist and dragging him up on the bed and into the middle of it before releasing his grip. For a moment the two just stared at each other, before Roy broke the silence.

“Christ, you really are skittish.” Wally looked down, embarrassment flooding his mind. Roy shook his head and paused the game, shifting to give the younger kid more space now that he wasn’t in danger of falling anymore. Wally started to mumble something that could have been an apology, but Roy interrupted. 

“I’m not gonna hit you.” He said, shocking Wally silent. Dipping his head to look at Wally’s face, he continued.

“Uncle Hal said you’d be nervous, said that you get kinda twitchy when people get to close.” Wally clenched his teeth, embarrassment turning to anger. Roy didn’t seem to notice, just continued talking, turning to his Uncles, trying to be comforting.

“Ya’know Hal and Barry aren’t gonna hit you, right? Cause trust me, they both have a surprising amount of patience.”

“How would you know?” Wally snapped, not looking up. Roy just shrugged.

“I stayed with them for a week when Ollie and Dinah went out of town, and I acted like, well, like a brat. I swore at them, threw stuff, and they never once lost their temper. It wasn’t until, like, the last day that I started acting right.” He recounted, a slight blush on his cheeks. Wally shot a peek upwards.

“What made you act right?” He prompted, morbidly curious about how the story ended. Roy reached a hand up and scratched behind his head. 

“We were out, and Barry was trying to call me over for something and I wasn’t listening. So he started coming to me and I starting running away from him and stepped onto the road, right in front of a huge truck,” Wally was listening closely, hanging onto every word, “I totally froze, and next thing I know, Barry grabbed me by the arm and pulled me out of the way, and I thought for sure he was gonna smack me, but he didn’t, he just pulled me really close and held me for a long time.”

Wally gaped, shocked that anyone could act out like that.

“He didn’t get mad?” He demanded, Roy shook his head.

“Oh he was ticked! But he didn’t hit me, or even threaten to. He just took me back to their place and lectured me. It was kinda eye opening actually.” Roy admitted, eyes focused on the door. The two sat in silence for a moment, Wally fiddling with the comforter, a question forming in the front of his mind.

“Why do you call your dad by his first name?” Wally asked, wanting to learn more about the other. 

“He’s not my dad!” Roy snapped, softening a bit when he saw Wally flinch. “He and Dinah adopted me, I’m not really related to either of them.” He explained. Wally nodded, nibbling on his thumbnail a bit.

“I’m not related to Barry or Hal either.” Wally confided, toying with the bedspread to keep his hands busy.

“Yeah I know.” Roy laughed, looking at Wally, “You don’t look like either of them.” Gesturing to his vibrant red hair. Wally smiled, turning down Roy’s offer to continue the game, more than content to just watch. The older boy shrugged and got himself to a different map, changing the settings so he had control of the whole screen, the two sat in silence for a while, until Wally had nearly drifted off.

“Do you like living with Barry and Hal?” Roy blurted, not turning from his race. Wally jolted out of his daze, blinking to try to wake himself up.

“Yeah it’s been pretty good, Barry’s really nice, he took me out and got me clothes and stuff. Even when I freaked out, he didn’t get mad, he just held me really close.” Wally responded, getting a chuckle from Roy. “I’m glad they took me, cause other-wise I’d have wound up in the system.”

“Well, haven’t ya got any other family? Like a grandpa, or cousins?” He pushed, not noticing how Wally tensed up.

“I have an aunt, but she won’t take me.” He mumbled. Roy looked shocked.

“Why wouldn’t she take you?” Roy demanded.

“I don’t know. I thought I would go be with her, if Dad ever gave me up. But I ended up with Barry and Hal instead. I don’t even know why, I haven’t seen her since before I left Dad’s.” Wally answered, struggling to keep the tears out of his voice. Roy was quiet for a moment, jaw clenched hard.

“So what, she just split on ya?” He whispered, his voice sounding raw and angry, all Wally could do was shrug.

“I guess. I always thought she liked me, but maybe she was just pretending. I”- Wally gasped back a sob, bringing his hand up to wipe away any tears before they could fall- “I just wish I knew what I was doing that made her not like me.” He cried.

Roy didn’t react to the tears, just sat very still. It wasn’t until Wally was convinced that the other by had decided to ignore him completely that he spoke.

“She sounds like a jerk.” He muttered, gripping the Wii remote so tightly that his knuckles were white.

“She wasn’t though, she was always really nice. Guess she was joking.” Closing his eyes against his tears, getting nothing but a nod of acknowledgement from Roy. 

Going back to his game, Roy stewed on the information, about how subdued and beaten down Wally looked and thought about how depressed he got when he mentioned his aunt, who had just ditched him when he clearly needed help, and Roy was seriously pissed. But Wally didn’t seem mad at all, so rather than voice his emotions, he bit his tongue and kept playing Mario Kart while the younger boy watched.

Glancing over, Roy saw that Wally’s head was starting to droop and that he was blinking like it was taking physical energy just to keep his eyes open. As he watched, Wally curled up against one of the pillows and started to relax, breathing evening out until it was just deep, relaxed slumber. The older redhead got the game to its settings, leaving it so the music was still playing, but the game itself wasn’t running, and gingerly slid off the bed, mindful of the sleeping boy on the bed, and started down the hall, his anger growing until it felt like a physical ache in his chest, leaving a bad taste in his mouth. 

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Roy got a hold of his temper before he sauntered into the sitting room, rejoining the adults.

Barry and Hal were taking up one of the loveseats, the blond leaning over so that his face was buried in his partner’s shoulder, while Ollie and Dinah were relaxed on the sectional, Ollie laying back with his feet on Dinah’s lap. All of them were laughing, giving the impression that he had just walked into the middle of a punchline. Hal was the first to notice him, smiling and lifting one arm to invite him over, Roy crossing the room and engaging his honorary uncle in a tight one armed embrace.

“Heya Roy.” Hal laughed, releasing the child to ruffle his hair, the kid playfully swatting him away and backing up.

Barry lifted his face from Hals shoulder and leaned forward to look behind him, clearly searching for his own young redhead.

“Is Wally with you?” He asked. 

Roy shook his head and gestured over his back towards the hallway he had just come from.

“Nah, he fell asleep while we were playing Mario Kart and I just kinda left him there.” Roy explained.

Hal gave him a half smile and nodded while Barry looked grateful. Roy walked over to the couch where Dinah and Ollie were and climbed onto the arm, getting an exasperated smile from Dinah and a chuckle from Ollie.

“You two hit it off then?” Ollie asked, raising his head to look at his adopted son.

Roy shrugged, the anger he had swallowed starting to make a reappearance and he had to work hard to shove it back down.

“Yeah, we got on okay.” He answered, shifting to look at Hal and Barry. “He’s really shy though.”

The two nodded, Hal finding Barry’s hand and giving it a firm squeeze.

“He’s had a hard life kid.” Hal said sadly, eyes alight with tears. 

“Yeah, I kinda got that.” Roy snarked, purposely not noticing Oliver’s warning glare. “He nearly fell off the bed, only reason he didn’t is cause I caught him.”

Barry’s head shot up, an alarmed look plastered on his face as Roy launched into the story of how Wally had nearly fallen off the bed, only relaxing when Roy told them how he had caught the kid and dragged him back onto the mattress, closer to the center. Hal was just sitting still, one hand gripping Barry’s, the other resting in his lap.

“I know its frustrating kid, but you’ve got to be patient with him, he honestly doesn’t know to expect anything else.” Hal told him, a sad smile on his face.

Roy only nodded, replaying the scene in his mind.

“So you two are gonna keep him then?” Ollie asked, raising his head again.

Barry bristled, looking like Oliver had just suggested that he rob a bank. Ollie, for his part, seemed to notice that he had touched a nerve, because he put up his hands in an “I’m only asking” kind of way.

“Of course we’re keeping him Oliver!” Barry snapped. “We wouldn’t just throw him out on the streets!”

“Like his bitch of an aunt would have done?” Roy asked.

The tension in the room changed on a dime. It went from being focused on Oliver to being focused on Roy.

“Roy Harper-Green!” Oliver snarled, his green eyes hard.

Dinah looked livid, her lips pursed in a way that Roy knew meant that he was going to get a lecture later. Hal meanwhile, looked confused, as though he couldn’t figure out what Roy was talking about, Barry just looked shocked, his hand leaving Hals and running though his blond hair.

“Well it’s true, isn’t it?” Roy demanded, looking around to see if anyone had caught on. “I mean, you guys only have him because his aunt refused to take him!”

Hal blinked like he was trying to clear his thoughts.

“What are you talking about?” He asked.

The redhead gaped, looking at Hal as though he was about to explain something to a toddler.

“His aunt. The one who he hasn’t seen since before he left his dads.” Roy said, getting looks of confusion from Barry and Hal. “He told me he had an aunt who used to come visit him, and that she was really nice, and he always hoped she would take him if his dad gave him up but she doesn’t want him.”

A look of understanding started to dawn on Barry’s face, though it was quickly replaced by hurt.

“Iris?” He clarified.

“If that’s her name, that’s her name.” Roy shrugged.

Hal leaned forward, propping his elbows against his thighs, resting his head in his hands. He stayed there for a moment, breathing deeply, while Barry turned away with a hand over his mouth. When Hal sat back up, his eyes were slightly red.

“Let’s make a few things very clear.” Hal growled, his voice low and angry. “First, her name is Iris, she is Barry’s sister and Wally’s aunt, and I don’t think either of them appreciate you calling her a bitch.”- Roy sat up straight, mouth open to argue, but Hal continued before he could. –“ Second, Iris wanted Wally so, so much, but she’s a reporter who works long, hard hours, travel’s a lot, and doesn’t have much maternity leave so all three of us sat down and decided that it would be best if Barry and I took him, and it broke her heart that she wasn’t able to. Finally, Iris basically lived at the hospital while Wally was there, and the only reason that she hasn’t seen Wally since is because she has about a months’ worth of work to catch up on, on top of the work coming in.”

Roy looked down at his hands, embarrassment flooding through him. Barry was still turned away, hand still brought up to his face, and Roy could swear he heard the occasional muffled sob from his uncle. The entire room was silent, all five collecting their thoughts at their own pace, Barry quickly composing himself and looking to Roy.

“Roy, would you mind if I went into your room to check on Wally?” He asked quickly.

“Yeah, yeah go ahead.” Roy said mutely, deliberately avoiding looking at his uncle until he was out of the room.

Immediately, all eyes turned to him, Oliver still looking mad, while Dinah was shooting him daggers.

“You need to apologize young man.” Ollie snapped, pulling his feet off Dinah’s lap and pointing a finger directly at his adopted son, who couldn’t meet him in the eye.

Roy squirmed, chewing his cheek. Glancing up a little, he could just catch Hal’s gaze.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered.

“Hal stayed silent, his only reaction to the apology was holding open his arm, which Roy quickly rushed into. Pulling the boy close, Hal held him for a moment.

“I really am sorry.” Roy breathed, so quiet that Hal had to strain to hear him.

“I know, but it’s not really me you should be apologizing to.” Hal whispered back. 

Roy didn’t move immediately, staying in Hal’s embrace as he thought about what to do.

“Do you think he would mind if I went to him and Wally?” Roy asked, pulling away from Hal a bit. The brunette just shook his head, releasing Roy when he started towards the hallway, vaguely hearing Hal explain his departure to Ollie and Dinah.

Dragging his feet, Roy made his way slowly down the halls, trying to think of something to say to his uncle to make up for all the awful things he had just said. The walk to his room ending to quickly for his liking, so Roy spent a moment peeking through the doorway. Barry was perched on the side of the bed, his face turned away from the door, though Roy could still see tear-stains on his cheek, listening closely, Roy could hear Barry muttering, but couldn’t make out what he was saying, only that his voice still sounded heavy with tears and like he was forcing whatever he was saying out.

Roy took a step back and inhaled deeply, steeling himself for the apology before reaching forward and knocking lightly on the door. Barry turned quickly, hurrying to wipe the tears away from his eyes with the palm of his hand.

“Come in.” He called, watching as the door open as Roy shoved his way in. He crept closer, stopping a few feet away from his uncle and looking down at the bedspread.

“I’m sorry I called your sister a bitch. I should have gotten all the facts before I started making judgements and I didn’t and I’m sorry.” Roy said in a rush, his cheeks red enough to match his hair.

Barry smiled a little, reaching his hand out, grabbing Roy’s sleeve and pulling him closer, pressing a gentle kiss on top of his head and rubbing his back.

“I forgive you.” He said simply, turning back to Wally. The little boy was much the same as when Roy had left him, curled on his side with his head on one of the pillows, but his hair had been pushed away from his face and he had been covered in a blanket.

“I’m kind of glad you told me he was unhappy, he never would. If he really doesn’t like staying with us, Hal and I can work something out with Iris, we just want him to be safe and happy.” Barry confided. 

Roy paled, frightened that he had just ruined this kids chance at a family by shooting off his mouth. He crawled onto the bed, putting himself directly in Barry’s line of sight and started trying to set the situation right.

“He likes staying with you! He likes staying with you! Really, he does, he told me. He told me he freaked out and you held him really close! He likes you and Hal a whole bunch, he just”- Roy broke off for a moment to gather his thoughts- “He’s just like me, he doesn’t understand the situation and he jumped to conclusions.”

Barry smiled, staying quiet in response to the outburst, fingers gently toying with Wally’s hair. Roy settled down, watching Barry, looking at Wally with a soft gaze.

“You love him, don’t you?” Roy whispered.

Barry tore his eyes away from his nephew for a moment to look at Roy, taking his hand away from his head to adjust the blanket.

“Yeah, I do. So, so much. I know he doesn’t recognize me, his dad cut off communications with Hal and I before Wally was even three years old. But I remember him, I was there the night he was born, I was at his first birthday party, I have videos at home of me playing with him, holding him, of him running up to me when I came through the door at Christmas time.” Barry looked Roy dead in the eye, tears dripping down his face.

“I know it’s going to sound selfish, and it probably is, but I was ecstatic when Iris first brought up the concern that she couldn’t take him. But I wanted him, I love him so much. Iris always told me everything about him when she came back from her visits, and I wouldn’t shut up to anyone who would listen about how proud of him I was, just ask Ollie, he’ll tell you.” Barry laughed. 

Roy was quiet, waiting for Barry to collect himself before he spoke.

“I think he loves you too.” Barry looked at him. “He sounded really happy when he told me you held him, I think he really enjoyed it, and he sounded so grateful when he told me you took him shopping. He really trusts you, or at least, he’s starting to.”

“I hope so kid, I really hope so.” Barry laughed, grinning through the tears. “I want him to be able to run to me again, I hate that he’s been taught to be afraid.”

Roy nodded, the two quiet as Barry went back to fusing over Wally, running his fingers through his hair and tucking the blanket around him in, Roy deep in thought. After a few moments, Roy leaned his head against Barry’s upper arm, closing his eyes as he breathed in, his uncle bringing his hand up and carefully cupping the back of Roy’s head, the barely there touch just enough to be reassuring, but not so much as to be confining. Barry’s other hand was still on Wally’s crown, toying with the soft red locks and gently running his nails over his scalp.

“I’m glad you told me about this misunderstanding Roy.” Barry whispered into his hair, Roy practically melting when Barry pressed a kiss into his crown. “I had no idea he thought Iris didn’t want him. At least now, Hal and I can work on correcting it, rather than him just dealing with it on his own.” 

Roy nodded, keeping his forehead against Barry’s arm and gathering his thoughts, slightly dreading the lecture that was certainly going to happen when Dinah and Ollie got him alone. But right at the moment, he was just content to quietly spend time with Barry and Wally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone, and I mean anyone, says that Roy is in anyway romantically interested in any of the adults, or in Wally, I will find you and remove your kneecaps, and yes that's a threat.


	8. Consequences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roy deals with the aftermath of his outburst on his way to bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't really mean for this chapter to become all about Roy, but what the hell, enjoy. and I really appreciate all the comments I've been getting, thank you so much everyone!

Roy was sitting on the arm of the sofa, struggling to keep his eyes open. He had been listening in to the adults conversation for hours and it was pushing eleven thirty at night, why past his normal nine o’clock bedtime. Hal looked over from the conversation he was immersed in when Roy yawned for the third time in as many minutes.

“Ready to call it a night kiddo?” He asked.

Roy nodded, rubbing at his eyes with the palm of his hands. Barry stood up and followed Roy to the doorway.

“I’ll move Wally off your bed for ya.” He said.

“Nah, just leave him where he is, we were just gonna blow up an air mattress so we could have a sleep over, I’ll just camp on that.”

Barry cocked an eyebrow and eyed him, trying to figure out if the boy meant it or if he was just trying to make up for his earlier outburst. After a moment, he shrugged.

“If you’re sure.”

Hal stood up from the couch and walked over to his partner, putting an arm around Barry’s waist. Roy just shrugged, another yawn splitting his jaw.

“I’m sure. You guys probably don’t want him waking up in the middle of the night not knowing where he is, if I’m right beside him, I can help him out.” He reasoned.

Hal smiled, ruffling Roy’s hair with the hand that wasn’t on Barry’s hip, while Dinah and Oliver stood up and followed the party down the hall.

“Ollie, why don’t you, Barry, and Hal work on setting up the air mattress while Roy and I go grab some blankets?” Dinah suggested, shooting Roy with a pointed look that had him gulping.

Oliver nodded, leading their guests down the hall to Roy’s room while Roy and Dinah branched off to the linen closet. Dinah reaching up to grab two comforters and some extra pillows while Roy poked around for some sheets, both of them very aware of the looming tension, so thick that Roy half wished she would just lay into him so that at least it would be done and over with. When the two had finished and the door to the closet was firmly closed once more, Dinah leaned against the wall, the blankets tucked between her hip and the wall, while the pillows were under her arm. Roy immediately lowered his gaze, finding a sudden interest in his lack of shoes and the lines in the hardwood.

“I’m sorry Di.” He whispered.

“I know.” Dinah replied simply, not moving from her relaxed position against the wall. “But you need to start thinking before you speak. You really hurt Hal and Barry today, and you almost hurt Wally as well.”

Roy bit his bottom lip hard, clutching the sheets tighter to him as though that would make everything better.

“I didn’t mean to.” He choked, tears burning behind his eyes and making it hard to speak.

Dinah smiled a little, pushing off the wall and setting her load down in a neat pile, using her free hands to pull Roy closer, tilting his chin up with one hand, seeing his eyes glossy with tears and kissed him on the forehead.

“I know, I know.” She whispered, lightly guiding him into a hug, feeling his breath hitch as he cried, and running her manicured nails up and down his back. “I know you were only trying to stick up for Wally, I know you didn’t mean to hurt your uncles.”

The two stayed in an embrace, Dinah continuing to trace his spine with her nails and whispering comforts in his ear. 

“Uncle Ba-Barry said that if he’s not happy, he’ll- he’ll help Wally go be with-with her! And no-no-now I ruined e-e-everything for Wally!” Roy choked, crying so hard he was struggling to get all the words out.

Dinah pushed him away, hands still on his shoulders and her green eyes gentle.

“Roy, take a deep breath.” She commanded, waiting while he got a shuddering breath in before continuing. “Good. Now, a few things. First, you’re uncles aren’t that stupid, they aren’t going to just send Wally away because of a young person’s outburst. Second, Even if Wally really did want to go live with his aunt, she doesn’t have the ability to be the parent he needs right now, and every adult who cares about Wally agreed that Hal and Barry are currently the best to take care of him, none of them are going back on their agreement now.”

Roy didn’t look very convinced, his breathing still rough, as though he was fighting to get oxygen into his lungs, and worrying his lip so much that Dinah could see specks of blood on his teeth. With a sigh, she sat down on the blankets, pulling Roy into her lap and kissing the crown of his head.

“Look, don’t tell Oliver I told you this, because it isn’t a sure thing yet, but Hal and Barry plan to sue Wally’s parents for custody. They love Wally, Roy, so much so that they have been dealing with all the legal hoops that CPS likes to make people jump through to adopt a kid. You haven’t ruined anything, you made a mistake, you apologized and meant it, it’s going to be alright baby.” She murmured, caressing Roy’s head while he calmed down.

~~~~~~~

Ollie and Hal decided that the smartest thing to do would be to blow up the air mattress in the room Hal and Barry were staying in, and then carry it into Roy’s room so that the sound of the air compressor didn’t wake Wally up, which worked until they tried to leave the room without properly tilting the mattress and Hal got smacked in the face with it. When they finally had the bed set up, Hal and Barry whispered a ‘good night’ to both Wally and Roy and left, followed by Dinah, and then it was just Roy and his adopted father awake in the room. Ollie crouched down to sit on the air mattress, Roy pulling his feet towards him to make room for the older man.

“Bit of a rough day for you?” Ollie asked. Roy nodded, tucking his knees against his chest, hoping that at least the lecture would be quick. Instead, Ollie grabbed him and dragged him into a hug, shocking his ward.

“I can’t really be too mad at you, I would have reacted the same way if I thought somebody had hurt a friend of mine like that. In fact, I have reacted in a similar fashion.” Ollie laughed, noticing that Roy was clearly still on edge. 

“And I think”- he wiped a stray tear from Roy’s eye with his thumb- “That you already know you made a mistake.”

“So you’re not going to lecture me?” Roy asked hopefully, getting a chuckle from Oliver.

“Why beat a dead horse kid? You messed up, sure, happens to the best of us, but then you apologized. And I know for a fact that you’ve been beating yourself up over this all day.” Ollie said, rubbing Roy’s back before pushing the kid down into the bed and pulling the blankets over him, pressing a kiss to his forehead.

“Good night Roy.”

“Night Ollie.”

Oliver left the room, making sure that the door was cracked and dimmed the hallway lights enough that it wouldn’t keep the kid awake and went off in search of the other adults.


	9. Midnight Snacks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wally wakes up and he and Roy have some snacks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! This chapter contains in depth description of an injury!

Wally woke up alone in an unfamiliar, dark space. It took thirty seconds to figure out that the soft thing he had woken up on was a bed, and from there, the afternoon had come flooding back to him, from leaving early with Barry and Hal, to meeting the Queens, to the conversation he had had with Roy while playing Mario Kart. He didn’t remember falling asleep, and he currently had no way to tell what time it was, other than it must be late because the room was drowning in shadows. Fumbling around, he found the edge of the bed and carefully slipped over the side, lowering himself slowly until his feet found the floor and started to quietly move across the floor, desperate to find the end of the darkness, when his foot came down on something warm and moving.

Wally yelped as a strange voice swore and fell backward onto the floor. He could hear someone moving around with heavy movements before there was a clicking noise and the room was lit up, painfully stinging Wally’s eyes as they struggled to suddenly readjust to the change of atmosphere. As soon as he could see without spots dancing in his vision, Wally looked around, seeing the bed where he had clearly just been, as well as Roy kneeling by the table beside the bed, fingers still clutching a chain connected to a lamp. There was also an air mattress on the floor, with blankets tossed haphazardly on top of it, as though someone had thrown the covers back with little regard for getting them back on, and Wally came to the conclusion that the thing he had stepped on had been Roy.

“Sorry.” Wally whispered, careful to control his volume in case there were other people nearby trying to sleep.

“Whatever. Why are you up?” Roy asked, croaking while he tried to wake his voice back up.

“I just woke up, I didn’t know where I was.” He answered honestly, wrapping his arms around himself.

“Oh yeah, that’s the worst.” Roy groaned, stumbling back to the air mattress and sitting smack in the middle of it.

“What, waking up?” Wally asked, getting laughter from Roy.

“I actually meant the not knowing where you are, but yeah, waking up sucks too.” He answered, still giggling.

Wally didn’t really have much to say on that matter, so he just continued to look around. The lamp didn’t fully illuminate the room so the corners still looked like they went on forever, but he could see the door he had come in from an unknown number of hours ago, which was partially open but there was no light coming from the hallway, nor was there any sound except for his and Roy’s breathing. 

“What time is it?” He asked. Roy shrugged, crawling back over to the bedside table and grabbing his phone off of it, pressing the home button to light up the screen.

“Almost three in the morning.” Roy answered, touching a side button and the screen went dark once more.

Wally nodded, curling his knees up to his chest and resting his chin on them. Roy didn’t seem bothered by his silence, lifting his arms above his head in a stretch and yawning.

“Hey, are you hungry?” Roy asked suddenly, lowering his arms back down to his sides. Wally shrugged, ignoring the claws in his stomach that tightened at the very thought of something to eat. Roy nodded, grabbing the table’s edge to hoist himself into a standing position.

“Well I’m starving.” He said, heading to the door before pausing and turning back to Wally. “Do you wanna change into pajamas?”

Wally looked down at himself, noticing for the first time that he was still wearing his clothes, jeans and a tee shirt, he was even still wearing his socks. He lay back further, fumbling for his bag before finally getting a hold and dragging it closer to himself, tearing the zipper open and routing through it to until he found a warm pair of pajamas, standing up to follow Roy to the door, the older boy gesturing to a door across the hall and down a bit before heading off into the darkened hallway.

“I’m off to get food, you got a preference?” He asked. Wally shook his head in response.

“Wait, won’t you get in trouble?” He demanded, causing Roy to freeze midstep and turn to face him.

“Why would I be in trouble?” Roy asked.

“For-for taking food without permission.” Wally explained, causing Roy to roll his eyes.

“No, Ollie and Dinah won’t care so long as I don’t leave any garbage in my room.” He told his guest gently, refacing the hallway and disappearing into the shadows, leaving Wally to dart into the bathroom and strip off his wrinkled shirt, wincing as his nail caught a wound on his hip. 

Glancing down, Wally saw an angry red, now bleeding lash curling from the dip in his hip and trailed upward over his side and settled deeply into the flesh in his back. The edges were slightly yellowed, and the injury as a whole felt hot and tight, Wally carefully poked at the edges, wincing when pus and blood oozed out, and he guessed that it was getting a bit infected. Noticing the toilet paper, Wally grabbed a handful, running it under hot water and putting a dab of hand soap onto it, carefully trying to clean the wound, only to snatch his hand away when white hot agony shot across his body, tears leaking from his eyes and down his cheeks. Wally staggered back, his back touching the cold ceramic counter and he dragged in a shuddering gasp, tossing the soggy toilet paper into the garbage can. When he had his breath back, he carefully slipped off his jeans, and slowly put on his pajamas, bundling up his dirty clothes and twisting the doorknob with trembling hands, carefully making his way back to Roy’s room and waiting for him to come back. 

Roy crept into the kitchen, mindful of his place in the room so that he didn’t bump into anything. Finding the counter, Roy reached his hand up until he touched the edge of the cupboard, feeling his way down until he found the one beside the fridge, pulling it open and climbing onto the counter. Going on memory, Roy fumbled with boxes until he felt one near the back, pulling it close to him and climbing back down, retracing his steps until he found the door hiding the plates, grabbing one and putting a handful of cookies from the box, leaving the box on the counter and heading back to his room.

When he got there, he found Wally sitting still beside the bed, gazing idly at the wall, without seeming too notice Roy entering the room, his hand was hovering over his side and he looked like he had been crying. Roy knocked lightly on the wall, shocking the younger boy out of his stupor, blinking away the glaze over his eyes as his host walked over to sit beside him, placing the plate of cookies between them, and nudging them to the younger boy.

“Are you okay?” He asked, seeing up close that Wally was shivering.

“Yeah, I’m just tired.” He answered, voice detached and emotionless.

Roy frowned ‘Didn’t he just wake up?’ 

Instead of voicing his question, he pushed a cookies into Wally’s hand, happy when the smaller kid absently started nibbling on it, pleased that he got him eating, something that from the look of him, he hadn’t been doing enough of. The two boys continued to sit in silence, snacking on the treats, Roy pleased that he managed to get Wally to eat three before the boy refused any more, until the plate was empty. Reaching over Wally, Roy grabbed his phone to check the time, which read three forty-two in the morning, explaining why he was forcing himself to stay awake. He and Wally bid each other goodnight, Roy insisting that Wally remain in the bed while he himself to the air mattress, the two crawling into bed. Roy lay still, listening to Wally shift and toss in bed for a while before he got out of bed and headed over to Wally.

“What’s the matter?” He demanded, making the child freeze.

“Nothing! Nothing, I’m fine.” Wally insisted while Roy scrutinized him, noticing that he was shivering.

“Are you cold?” he asked, getting a reluctant nod from the other redhead.

“Right, move over.” Roy ordered, stalking over to the air mattress and pulling off the heavy comforters and throwing them onto the bed before climbing into bed with Wally, careful to give the boy plenty of space so that he didn’t feel crowded. Listening closely, Roy could hear the exact moment when Wally fell back to sleep.

Hal woke up to sunshine in his eyes and Barry nestled into his side, his breath teasing his shirt. Maneuvering carefully so as to not wake his partner, Hal grabbed his phone off the table to check the time, reading eight fifty-three and smiling. Trying to remember the last time he and Barry had a chance to sleep in, realizing that it had been before they had taken in Wally, a good six months ago at least, since he vividly remembered the long days and horrible nights awake while he, Barry, Iris, and Joe had discussed their options regarding Wally. Frowning at the grim memory, Hal gingerly slid and arm under Barry and pulled him closer, kissing his cheek and brushing the hair off his forehead. A knock startled him, making him jump and rouse Barry in the process, who mumbled his displeasure at having been disturbed.

“Yeah.” Hal called.

The door opened and Oliver’s head poked into the room, grinning wildly.

“Oh good! You two are awake! You gotta follow me, there is something you both need to see!” He said.

Hal groaned, pulling his arm out from under Barry as the other sat up and threw his legs over the side of the bed to follow Oliver.

Oliver led the couple down the hallway, Barry and Hal still waking up. They ran into Dinah on the way, bouncing on the balls of her feet as she wildly gestured for the others to hurry, until they were right in front of Roy’s door. Oliver slowly pushed the door open, careful to not let the door squeak before stepping to the side, leaving room for Hal and Barry to enter, creeping over to the bed at Oliver’s gesture.

Barry shoved his hand over his mouth to stifle a verbal reaction, seeing Hal doing the same out of his peripheral. The blonde tiptoed closer, smiling as he took in the scene, Wally and Roy in the bed, cuddled under the covers. Pulling the blankets back a bit, Hal saw that Wally had changed from his clothes they had left him in last night to Flash pajamas, which he couldn’t even pretend to be mad at Barry about, because of how adorable his nephew looked in them. Ollie dashed out of the room and Hal could hear him crack up from the hallway, while Dinah took Barry and Hal’s hands, waiting for Barry to tuck the two kids back in before pulling them out of the room and headed towards the sitting room as Ollie followed them, still giggling.

“Oh my God! They’re so cute!” Ollie gushed, wiping a stray tear from his cheek.

“I know, I’m so glad I agreed to you going to check on them! And I’m so glad I got a picture!” Dinah giggled, releasing Hal’s hand to pull her phone out of her pocket, waving it like a trophy.

“Send it to me!” Barry demanded, using his speed to dart in front of her, gripping her shoulders. “Please, I would be willing to pay you to send that too me!”

Getting to the sitting room, Oliver flopped down into an armchair, wrapping his arms around Dinah’s waist and pulling her into his lap and kissing her on the cheek while she sent the photo to Barry and Hal while the couple took up the couch, Hal resting his head in Barry’s lap.

“I wonder when Roy crawled in with Wally.” Oliver wondered aloud, carefully braiding Dinah’s hair.

“I have no idea, but when I get Roy alone that is going to be the very first thing I ask him, I assure you!” Hal howled, pressing the palms of his hands over his eyes as Barry lightly smacked his chest, causing Dinah to laugh again.

“I’m frankly surprised Roy was willing to climb into bed with him, he’s always been very outspoken about not liking people being too close to him while he sleeps.” She confessed, handing Ollie a hair tie as he finished braiding her hair.

“I’m surprised Wally stayed in bed with him! He legitimately slammed himself against a wall at home to avoid brushing against me in the hallway, I can’t imagine that he would enjoy sharing a bed with someone he only met a few hours ago.” Barry admitted, his mood dulled by the memory.

“Well no offense Bear, but you’re an adult, Roy is closer to his age. And he clearly has some trust in Roy, or he wouldn’t have opened up to him about his aunt.” Ollie argued, getting a nod from the blond and a murmur of agreement from the pilot.

“Well it’s getting to be close to nine fifteen, so both of them should be up soon.” Dinah pointed out, playing on her phone as Ollie watch, resting his chin on her shoulder. Barry nodded, taking his own phone out and sending the picture he had received from Dinah to Iris, before resting his head against the back of the couch and closing his eye’s content to doze off while he waited for his nephews to wake up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the first time I uploaded this chapter, it glitched and part of the chapter got deleted. sorry


	10. Mornings

Roy slid out of bed slowly, making sure not to wake up Wally. Grabbing the empty plate from the bedside table, he headed out into the hall, throwing a quick glance over his shoulder to make sure that the rooms other occupant hadn’t moved before shutting the door behind him.

Making his way down to the kitchen, Roy heard voices coming from the sitting room, telling him that some of the houses other occupants were awake. Shuffling past the cracked doorway, Roy tiptoed down the stairs and into another hallway, less lit and without any of the fancy décor adorning the walls as the hallway upstairs. At the end of the hallway stood two oak doors, which led to a well-lit kitchen, lined with aluminum counters and industrial grade equipment, but also had hand carved wooden cabinets and a woodstove, an array of antique cast-iron fire tenders and an old tin ash bucket, the kitchen as a whole was a quaint mix of rustic and modern luxury. Heading to the dishwasher, Roy pulled the door open and dragged one of the racks out, putting his plate in and starting to close it.

“Morning Roy.” A voice behind him chimed.

Roy jumped a mile, accidently slamming the dishrack into the washer with more force then was needed.

“Holy shit!” He yelped, spinning around to see Oliver standing at the doorway, a stern expression on his face.

“Watch your language!” He scolded.

“Well in my defense, if you wouldn’t sneak up on me, I wouldn’t swear.” Roy retorted, closing the dishwasher door with a vengeance. Oliver laughed, crossing the room and reaching over Roy’s head to open the cupboard, grabbing the yellow box of earl gray tea bags, and moving to fill the kettle, putting it on the stove.

“Fair enough. Ya want tea?” Roy shook his head while Ollie shot him a playful smirk. “How about some hot cocoa?” 

Roy grinned, climbing up on the counter to grab the hot chocolate powder from the same cupboard as the tea, but on a higher shelf, while Ollie grabbed three mugs, putting tea bags in two of them. Handing the mix to Ollie, Roy climbed down while the older man spooned a generous amount of it into the third cup before reaching up to return it to its home in the cupboard, playfully shoving the kid as he passed.

“See, I can just reach up and put it back, because I am not four feet tall.” He teased, ruffling Roy’s already messy hair while the redhead bristled with false indigence. 

“Hey! I’m not four feet tall!” He teased back, getting a sage nod from Ollie.

“Ahh, my mistake, you are four foot two.” He responded, chuckling as he caught Roy, who had charged him, burying his face in his adopted fathers shirt and pushing against him with all his might while Ollie lightly shoved back, wrestling with his boy for a bit before getting bored and poking him under the ribs, inciting a yelp from the kid.

Roy tried to back away, but Ollie was quicker, wrapping one arm around his waist to keep him in place, the free hand tickling him until he was a shrieking mess of giggles and tears, though that didn’t stop him from struggling with every ounce of energy he had.

“Christ, are you torturing someone in here?” 

Ollie stopped, looking toward the doors to see Dinah, still wearing her pajamas, her hair still braided. Roy doubled his squirming, calling out to Dinah for assistance.

“Dinah, your husbands insane! Help he’s got me!” Roy shouted, reaching one hand out to his adopted mother while using the other to try and break Ollies grip.

“Oh is that what the screaming’s about, alright.” She said, a devilish look Roy knew all too well crossing her face. “Well don’t leave me out.”

Roy yelped as she crossed the room, both her and Ollie tickling him until he was barely able to get a breath in while the kettle started to scream with him.

“You-you’re waters do-done!” He squealed, grateful when they both drew back a little, though Ollie didn’t let go and Dinah still had one hand one his ribs.

“So?” She asked, spider-crawling her fingers over his side, making him squeak.

“S-so, you don’t want it to get cold again.” Roy reasoned, feeling Oliver laugh.

“We can re-heat water and just keep torturing you.” He pointed out, Dinah laughing as their son tried to curl himself to protect himself. His fiancé gave him a smile, tapping the arm holding Roy to let him know to let go, pressing a kiss to Roy’s head.

“I guess we can let you go, just this once.” She teased, biting back a laugh at how relieved Roy looked when Ollie let him go and how he kept a watch on both of them in case they changed their minds.

“Just wait till I’m bigger than you guys, you’ll be sorry.” He mumbled, yelping as Ollie gave him a light smack on the rear.

Dinah rolled her eyes, distributing the boiling water into the three mugs, stirring Roy’s and grabbing a can of whipping cream from the fridge and applying a generous portion to the top of his drink. It was more than she would have generally let the boy have, but he deserved a treat and she wanted to be on his good side when she asked him about how he ended up sharing a bed with Wally. Roy gaped at the mountain of whipped cream, looking betrayed when Ollie picked it up before he could.

“How bout I carry it up to the living room, and then you can have it?” He suggested, getting a reluctant nod from the child before he ran off, leaving just him and Dinah in the kitchen.

“I didn’t go too far on the tickling, did I?” He asked his partner while she grabbed the teacups.

“No. You and I both taught him how to get out of that hold, if he wanted, he could have gotten out AND have you in a wrist lock.” She reasoned, both of them slowly walking to the sitting room, careful to not spill any hot beverage on themselves.

Getting to the lounge, they saw Roy back on the arm of the sofa, engaged in conversation with Hal and Barry, Roy noticed them first, making grabby hands at Ollie for his drink while Dinah handed Barry his tea, both of them sitting on the sofa next to the arm Roy was on.

“So, what was it you were putting in the dish washer Roy?” Ollie asked while Roy dipped his finger in the whipping cream.

“A plate. Wally woke me up in the middle of the night and I went to go get snacks.” He answered, getting a shocked look from Hal.

“He woke you up for food?” He asked, astounded. Roy shook his head and placed his mug down on a coaster.

“No, he stepped on me by accident and woke me up, I was hungry so I went to get snacks.” He clarified.

“What time did he wake you up?” Ollie asked, draping one arm over Dinah while Roy thought back to the previous night.

“Round three.”

“You were hungry at three in the morning?” Hal laughed.

“Well not really hungry, just snacky. All I got was cookies.” Roy shrugged.

“You shared, right?” Dinah asked, receiving a nod.

“Yeah, he ate three. I tried to get him to eat more but he wouldn’t.” Roy answered, suddenly sitting up straight and looking directly at Hal and Barry. “He’s allowed to have cookies, right?”

“Yeah, yeah. We don’t really have any food restrictions, but I owe you big for getting him eating at all.” Hal said while Barry nodded his reassurance.

“Is that when you crawled into bed with him?” Ollie asked, grinning playfully while Roy shrugged.

“Sort of, he was really cold so I threw the comforters from the air mattress onto mine and then got in with him, mostly cause I was too lazy to go get more blankets from the closet.”

Barry smiled, setting his tea down on the table and putting his hands in his lap.

“Well, thank you for taking care of our boy, we really appreciate it.” He said, Hal smiling his thanks but remaining silent while Dinah put her hand on Roy’s back and rubbed circles on it, the attention making Roy blush and duck his head.

“It’s cool.” He muttered, grabbing his drink off the coffee table and taking a sip before looking at the clock. “He sure has been sleeping a while hasn’t he?”

Barry followed his gaze to the clock and frowned, eyes darting to the hallway as though Wally would appear as though summoned.

“Yeah, he doesn’t sleep this much at home, I’m not really sure why he’s doing it here.” Hal confessed. Oliver shrugged it off, but Barry seemed concerned.

“I’m starting to think we should take him to a doctor. He doesn’t sleep, won’t eat more than a few bites, he’s always on edge. I swear he’s lost weight since coming to live with us.” Barry rambled.

Oliver and Dinah sat up a little straighter, the mood turning darker, making Roy shiver.

“Roy, why don’t you go practice your aim before Wally wakes up? Then you won’t have to worry about rushing to do your practice later.” Dinah ordered, her mask of phrasing it as a question not slipping Roy’s notice that this was clearly a non-optional task. Nodding, he grabbed his mug and scurried from the room.

Dinah didn’t start until she heard the door click firmly shut behind her kid before turning her full attention to the couple across from her.

“Start from the beginning.” She demanded.

Barry looked to Hal, running his hand through his blond hair, Hal placing his pointer finger over his lips. The blond leaned forward, pressing his palms to his shut eyes before sitting back up.

“Wally goes to his bed at around eight, and he’s up before Hal leaves at six fifteen, but, he’s been crawling into bed with us, at eleven o’clock, stays for fifteen minutes, and then leaves every night, like clockwork.” Barry rushed while Hal nodded.

“He’s been watching us constantly, in the morning, later when I get home.”

Oliver grimaced, knowing that it was hard for Hal and Barry to admit they were struggling.

“He won’t eat unless he’s given permission, and even then, it’s a few bites. Like I said, I’m almost positive he’s lost weight, and he didn’t exactly have much to lose when he came to live with us. I honestly don’t know what to do! We’ve been discussing it, and we agree that forcing him to eat is a bad idea, because we don’t want food to be a punishment in his mind, but we just can’t let him starve himself!” Barry cried, his leg bouncing so fast it was a blur.

Dinah and Ollie looked at each other, Ollie tweaking his mustache absently. Dinah rested her cheek in her open palm, smiling sympathetically.

“Roy went through something similar.” She reminisced, thinking back to the early days with Roy. “He wouldn’t eat much, he slept at weird times, absolutely hated it if Ollie or I touched him. We were also worried about his health, I was almost convinced he was making himself sick on purpose just to be difficult.”

Oliver perked up, continuing the story where Dinah had left off.

“It all came to a head one day when he just snapped. Screaming, crying, throwing things, It felt like it wouldn’t end until he started puking. We took him to a doctor who told us it was most likely just stress and that it would go away on its own once he got settled. Maybe Wally’s going through something similar.”

Hal looked thoughtful, considering what his friend was saying, but Barry shook his head.

“I don’t know. I’m not saying he’s not stressed, I just don’t think he’s getting sick from it. I’m home with him all day, I would notice if he was throwing up.” Barry said. Hal took his hand, rubbing his thumb over the back of his husband’s hand.

“Babe, maybe he is getting sick. He managed to hide severe physical abuse for five years. Hell, we only found out because a neighbour called about a noise complaint and the cops found Wally at the bottom of the basement stairs. He’s good at hiding pain, maybe we should take him to a doctor.” He reasoned, seeing Barry bite his lip.

“Maybe you’re right. But I don’t want him to feel as though we’re trying to force things out of him, I want him to talk to us because he trusts us, not because he feels like he has to.”

Ollie cleared his throat, grabbing the other couples attention.

“It was recommended to us by a therapist that sometimes abused kids will keep quiet because they feel like no one will listen.” He told them, Dinah gripping his hand tightly.

Hal swallowed hard, remembering well how awful it felt to be a kid, how it felt to have people listen but not hear you, and could only imagine how much worse it must be for a kid who had been told that he didn’t matter to anyone.

Barry closed his eyes, desperately forcing himself to not lose his grip on his speed, practicing the breathing exercises Jay had recommended him. He could feel Hal rub his back, tracing figure eights over his shirt, sending shivers down his spine and spreading across his skin, grounding him and un-blurring the colours in the corners of his vision. Getting himself back together, Barry looked to his husband.

“We can get through this.” He whispered, his hand on Hal’s thigh. Hal just nodded, pulling him closer.

“Yeah we can.”


	11. Keeping Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry and Hal get caught up in the happenings in the league.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I desperately try to write myself out of this hoe I dug, I'm reminded that all of you who leave kudos and comments really keep me going and you've kept me sane during this horrible Covid-19 crisis. I hope all of you are safe and that you aren't going too crazy. keep it real babes. Also my sibling named this chapter.

Roy knocked lightly on the wall, announcing his presence to the occupants of the sitting room.

“Come in.” Ollie’s voice responded.

The redhead entered with caution, eyeing each of the adults in turn. He noticed that Hal was leaning forward with his arms braced on his knees, Barry shot him a watery smile that didn’t fully reach his eyes, and Dinah and Ollie were both frowning.

“Short archery practice?” Hal teased.

Roy blushed, he knew that Dinah had really only wanted him to leave the room for a while, so he hadn’t gone to the range, just down to the kitchen and had a bowl of cereal, still he played along.

“Well there’s only so many times I can hit the same target before it gets boring.” He replied, adding a false tone of arrogance to his voice while reclaiming his spot on the arm of the sofa, looking at the clock.

“When’s your kid gonna wake up?” He demanded, swinging his legs so the backs of his ankles hit the couch.

“I don’t know,” Hal said patiently, “We can go see if he’s awake though, if you’d like.”

When he saw Roy nod, he stood up, giving Barry’s shoulder a squeeze as he did so, and headed towards the door, followed by his nephew.

“Hey babe,” Barry called. “If he’s still sleeping, don’t wake him, just move him to our room, okay?”

Hal nodded and the two disappeared down the hallway, leaving Barry alone with Dinah and Ollie. Immediately, Ollie started catching him up on the on going’s in the league.

“So Arthurs got a new trainee. Names Kaldur’ahm, according to Arthur the kid is around the same age as Roy.” 

Barry nodded, though he had to admit that he was surprised, Arthur had never really given off any sort of hint that he even liked kids.

“That’s-“ He paused, searching for the right word. “Surprising, if I’m being honest.”

“Right?” Ollie asked.

“So this kid, is he just a trainee, or…” Barry trailed off, trusting the other two to understand what he was alluding to. Ollie just snorted.

“He says the kids just a trainee, but man, you should have seen the way his face lit up when he told us about how the kid was learning to harness his aqua magic. According to him, the kids the best in his class. I wouldn’t be surprised if he starts carrying pictures around of him just to show any poor soul who asks about him.” He laughed, earning himself a glare from Dinah.

“He doesn’t act any different than you do when talking about Roy.” She scolded. 

Ollie and Barry both looked at her, dumbstruck. Barry burst out laughing, burying his face in his hands while Ollie tried to talk around his giggles.

“Pretty Bird.” He said, pausing to try to compose himself, to no avail. “Pretty Bird, we ADOPTED Roy.” He laughed.

Barry’s muffled laughter got louder as he flopped down on his side, taking up the seat where Hal had been, lightly smacking the cushion as he forcing himself back up, his face red with mirth.

“If you’re honestly trying to say that Arthur looking at the kid the same way Ollie looks at Roy won’t end in adoption, I’m going to have you committed!” He gasped. “Ollie is the definition of a proud papa!”

Both he and Ollie launched into laughter again, leaving Dinah to try to bite down her own giggles. At that moment, Hal breezed into the room, Roy and Wally tailing him closely, the trio took in the laughter from the two men with variations of amusement, curiosity, and concern.

“What’s funny?” Hal asked, taking back his spot on the loveseat.

“Dinah thinks that someone looking at a kid the way Ollie looks at Roy won’t end in the kid getting adopted!” Barry howled, wiping away tears of laughter.

Hal turned and looked Dinah directly in the eye.

“You’re wrong.” He stated simply. “That’s wrong, stop being wrong.” 

Dinah simply rolled her eyes, accepting he jibes as the good natured ribbing that it was, also knowing that they would have to be careful how they spoke, given that Wally didn’t know about his uncle’s extra-curricular hobbies, and as such, couldn’t be made aware.

Wally in particular felt a little out of place, still standing just past the door. Roy had climbed onto the arm of the couch nearest Dinah and seemed happy there, but he didn’t know where he should sit. Chewing lightly on the tip of his tongue, he found his way to the couch where Barry and Hal were and settled down on the floor near Barry’s feet, resting his head back against the couch.

What he didn’t notice was how Hal looked at the top of his head, debating whether or not to tell him he didn’t have to it on the floor, he didn’t notice how sad Oliver and Dinah looked, or how Roy bit his lip and turned away. He did notice when there were to hands under his arms and he was suddenly lifted onto the couch, in a little space between Barry and the arm of the couch. He felt Barry’s hand gently ruffle his hair as he took his hands away, shifting to make sure that the little boy had enough space, even though he was almost on Hals lap to do so. Not that he seemed to upset over that.

Roy tried to distract from the awkwardness by getting the conversation going again.

“So who’s adopting a kid?” He asked. Immediately, the awkwardness changed, with all the adults trying to find a way to tell Roy about the funny conversation without letting Wally know that every adult in that room was a superhero. Dinah acted first.

“Do you remember when your Uncle Arthur came over a few weeks ago, how he mentioned he was going to apply to be a foster parent?” She asked, grateful when Roy played along. “Well, the kid they sent him is apparently growing on him and he can’t shut up about how amazing he is. So we were thinking that soon Arthur might have a kid of his own.”

“What’s the kid like?” He asked, knowing that any league members kid would have to be pretty spectacular, and more hero’s his own age would be awesome.

“I haven’t met him yet, but according to Arthur, he’s the best thing ever. Smart, though I’m told he’s very quiet, around your age and apparently, the kids a swimmer.” Ollie said, though he knew that when he finally convinced Arthur to let the two get together, he would have to keep an eye on Roy from the devilish look in his eye as the kid probably ran through scenarios on how to wreak havoc on the world with the other boy. At least he made friends easy.

Wally leaned over to Barry and whispered, “Who’s Arthur?”

Barry smiled. “A friend of ours.” He responded.

“He’s a weird dude.” Hal informed him, though not unkindly, getting a chuckle from Ollie.

“What makes him weird?” He asked. 

All the adults froze, and simultaneously started trying to tactfully explain what made their friend odd. Eventually, Oliver just pulled out his phone and showed Wally a picture with four people in it. Two were obviously Dinah and Ollie, but there was also a tall man in a tightfitting tee shirt with almost all of his exposed arms covered in tattoos, with long dark hair and beard, and his eyes were a weird mix between gray and blue. The other man was equally tall, but less extreme, wearing a checkered button up and glasses. Ollie’s finger hovered over the man with the tattoos, temporarily blocking his face.

“That’s Arthur.” He said. Wally nodded, already hoping he never had to meet this man, because he looked terrifying. Barry noticed his nephews fear and leaned over to him.

“I swear, he looks scary but he is the biggest softie you’ll ever meet.” Barry reassured, gently rubbing Wally’s back while Ollie laughed.

“Trust me kid, once you get to know him, Arthur will be your favourite person. He’s a scuba diver and has all kinds of amazing stories about swimming with sea turtles, dolphins, and whales, he’s weird but he’s really cool.” He said while Roy nodded vigorously in the background.

Wally nodded and went back to examining the picture, this time focusing on the man in the checkered shirt.

“Who’s that?” he asked. Barry looked over his shoulder to see the screen.

“That’s Clark, he’s also really nice. You’ll probably meet him sooner than you’ll meet Arthur, just because he lives closer.” He said, getting a nod from his nephew.

“Unfortunately, until now, none of them had kids! So anytime we went to go visit people, I was totally by myself!” Roy exclaimed dramatically, flopping off the arm and across Dinah’s lap while she smiled indulgently. Oliver rolled his eyes and went back to the couch, poking Roy in the side as he sat down.

“Yes, I know. And as soon as I can convince Arthur that his kid won’t die if he spends some time having fun, I’ll introduce you.” He assured his ward, sending a look of pure amusement to Barry and Hal.

“Does Clark have any kids?” Wally asked, watching as Roy found his way back to his preferred perch.

“No, he doesn’t. Though Lois mentioned that she wants kids, so he might have some in the future.” Hal told him, only for Ollie to shake his head from the other couch.

“Clark and Lois broke up.”

Hal gaped, blinking rapidly as though trying to clear his vision.

“What?” Barry sputtered. “When?”

“Not too long ago, I’m told it was mutual, Lois got offered a yearlong away job in Europe, which she accepted, but Clark wants to stay in America so to avoid the strain, they just accepted that the relationship wouldn’t work.” Ollie shrugged.

“So is it just a break or an actual break up?” Hal asked. “Clark and Lois were always so tight, I feel like there must be something else going on if they called it quits that easy?”

“Clark seems pretty sure that they’re done, told me they’re still civil, able to work together. Clark took a leave of absence for a week and has been crashing at Bruce’s place so she can pack without having to feel awkward and so he can look for a new place.” Ollie said.

Wally turned to Barry, seeing the sad look on his face.

“Man,” Barry wiped a hand down his face, “Poor Clark. Is he doing okay?”

“He’s taking it as well as can be expected. He’s not so stupid drunk that he can’t stand, but he’s not the golden retriever he always is. He just needs to go out and get himself laid.” Ollie said casually.

“Oliver!” Barry snapped, “Not in front of the kids!”

Roy started cackling while Oliver just looked embarrassed. Wally frowned, thinking hard about what was wrong with what Ollie had said, looking at Barry for clues.

“Is it because you shouldn’t call people animals?” He asked.

Hal slapped a hand over his mouth, closing his eyes as he tried to muffle his laughter while Ollie chuckled nervously when Barry shot daggers at him.

“Yes,” Barry said through gritted teeth. “It’s not nice to compare someone to an animal.”

Hals laughter got louder, despite his hand still being practically in his mouth, he leaned over against the arm of the sofa, shaking.

“Perhaps you need a drink of water Hal?” Barry asked, getting a nod from his husband as he stood up on shaky legs.

“I think I do.” He laughed, leaving the room, Barry rolling his eyes at him and shaking his head.

Roy stood up and offered his hand to Wally.

“Wanna go play Mario Kart?” He asked, eager to get away from the adults conversation and Uncle Barry’s wrath.

Wally looked to Barry, who nodded his consent, and Wally got up, only for Ollie to call Roy over to him and whisper something in his ear. 

“Yeah I know, I’m not stupid.” Roy groaned, shoving Ollie’s hand away when the older man tied to ruffle his hair. 

He grabbed Wally’s hand and pulled him down the hall, bumping into Hal on the way out. Waving at his Uncle, Wally let himself he led down to Roy’s room and onto the bed. Roy started up the game, handing a remote to Wally and the two choose their characters and vehicles, content to play together for a while as the adults hung out in the parlour.


	12. Reassurances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wally notices that the cut on his hip is getting worse, while he also gets some comfort time with his favourite aunt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning!! Warning!! Warning!!!  
> There is a bit of implied sexual content, absolutely nothing even remotely graphic but it is there. There is also a bit of implied nudity of a minor, but that also isn't graphic or even really detailed at all.

Hal slammed the trunk down, covering the family's bags. Barry was up by the door, thanking Ollie and Dinah for the weekend and saying his goodbyes, Wally dutifully close by him, his small duffel bag thrown over his shoulder, glancing up at him as Hal came over to say his own farewells.

“Thanks for having us Ollie!” He said, clasping hands with his friend and pulling him into a hug, slapping each other on the back twice before letting go.

“Thank you for coming!” Ollie replied, releasing Hal and shaking Barry’s hand while Dinah gave Hal a hug and kiss on the cheek.

Roy turned to Wally and gave him a wave, which he returned, grateful to not have to hug his new friend, though still wanting to show that he was grateful for his company.

“I’ll talk to you later, I’ve got Barry’s number so I’ll just call him and he can just hand me off to you.” Roy told him, backed up by Barry nodding.

“Just make sure it’s a decent hour when you call Roy.” He pointed at him, making him blush and nod.

Wally startled when Hal placed a hand on his back, the light grip on his shoulder pulling him a little closer to the two adults as they started to head towards the car.

“Come on you two, we have a long drive ahead of us.” Hal reminded them, his arm slung around Barry while the other was still on Wally’s shoulder, guiding them both to the vehicle, taking his hand off his nephew when they reached the backdoor of the car and Wally scampered in, tossing his bag at his feet and buckling his seat belt, trying to find a way to shift the part that rested on waist off his injury without being to obvious about it, figuring out that if he squirmed over to be near the window that he could avoid it rubbing against the painful part of his body and it just looked like he was enjoying the view. Hal got into the drivers side while Barry slipped into the passenger side and started on queuing up a playlist for the family to listen to while they were driving, making a point of putting his seat belt on when Hal pointedly coughed at him and glanced at his unprotected torso. Leaning his head against the window, Wally waved as the car pulled out of the driveway, seeing that Roy was standing on his tiptoes to watch the car pull into the street, the figures by the house fading away as Hal accelerated, until the only things Wally could see out the window were trees and the occasional street sign.

“Did you have a nice weekend Wally?”

The little boy perked up at hearing his name, turning his gaze away from the window to see Barry twisted in his seat to smile at him, his blue eyes alight with happiness.

“Yeah it was fun.” Wally shrugged, smiling a little. “Roy’s really cool.”

Hal laughed, looking at Wally in the rear view mirror briefly before turning his attention back to the road.

“Yeah, he’s a good kid. He was really looking forward to meeting you, I’m glad that you were feeling up to going out this weekend.” He said, taking one hand off the wheel and entwining his fingers through Barry’s, the two resting their hands on the middle console.

Wally didn’t really know what to say to that, so he just laid his head back against the window and watched the world drift by, knowing it was going to be a very long trip.

~~~~

Hal backed the car into the driveway, grateful that his sunglasses blocked the bright, bleeding sunset from blinding him as he did so. As he switched the gear into park and cut the ignition, he could see Wally gathering up his bag and the garbage bag from McDonalds, his fumbling movements leading Hal to assume that he had either just woken up or was on the brink of falling asleep when they had finally arrived home. Getting out of the car, Hal paused to stretch before crossing in front of the vehicle to sling an arm around Barry’s shoulders, pressing his face into his messy blond hair. 

“Can we just leave the stuff we don’t need right now in the car and we can get it tomorrow?” He asked, his voice muffled by the top of Barry’s head, who was laughing.

“I suppose so.” Barry agreed, leaning into Hal’s embrace. 

Wally was still working on getting out of the car, trying to keep the door from closing on him while getting his things and the garbage. Hal moved his head so his chin was resting on Barry’s crown and opened his eyes, seeing the young boy struggling with both his duffle bag and the McDonalds bag on one side of him. Detangling himself from his partner, Hal moved to be closer to Wally, fully opening the heavy car door for him so he could climb out without it getting in the way.

“Thanks for grabbing the garbage kiddo!” He chirped, giving the kid a smile as the trio made their way to the house, Barry and Wally waiting while Hal quickly unlocked the door, the three of them moving into the shadowy house, all working on untying their shoes, or just toeing them off, in Barry’s case.

“Oh! Wally, before I forget, your Auntie Iris is coming over for dinner tomorrow, okay.” 

Wally’s head shot up so fast he nearly slammed it against the wall, he looked both excited and cautious.

“Really?” He demanded, looking at his uncle, who was smiling.

“Yeah, she should be here at around five tomorrow afternoon.” Barry said, taking the garbage bag from his nephew and heading into the kitchen and disposing of it into the garbage, turning to see Hal’s smile as their nephew grinned like it was an early Christmas. “So why don’t you head upstairs and get ready for bed so you’re not tired tomorrow.”

Wally nodded eagerly, gripping the strap on his duffle bag tighter and taking the stairs in stride, quickly disappearing into his room. Hal shifted to see the redhead dart out of sight before turning to his husband.

“Well he seems excited.” He murmured in a low voice, heading into the kitchen and leaning against the island.

“I just hope that attitude sticks around, he came out of his shell a bit this weekend, but I’m not sure how permanent it is.” Barry responded, wrapping his arms around Hal’s neck and leaning his head against the other man’s chest, breathing in the lingering smell of his aftershave mixed with the fast food.

“I think it will. Roy just said that he really missed his aunt, and is convinced that she doesn’t want him. I’m sure once we get this cleared up, he’ll be more open.” He soothed, pressing his lips to Barry’s head, wrapping the blond into a hug, his breath tickling his scalp. “But for right now, I think we should take your advice, and head to bed.”

Barry yelped as Hal moved his arms, scooping him up bridal style with ease, before relaxing his head into his shoulder, letting himself be carried up the stairs and into their bedroom, laughing when Hal dumped him gracelessly on the bed.

“You are seriously lacking in romance!” He teased, getting up and closing the bedroom door so he could change clothes while Hal cackled.

“I don’t know about that, you married me.” He held up his left hand, the wedding band prominent on his ring finger, the elegant silver and gold braid hugging his finger.  
“Whatever,” Barry rolled his eyes, taking Hal’s hand and kissing it and tugging him towards the bathroom, the other man following without resistance. “Why don’t we take a shower, put on some warm pajamas, and head to bed.” 

Hal grinned, swatting Barry’s butt as he closed the door behind them.

~~~

Wally had a shallow puddle of warm water in the bottom of the bathtub but was reluctant to get in. The cut on his hip had been bothersome since that morning and the simple task of taking off his shirt had caused it to go from an easily ignorable ache to tear jerking pain, and he was trying to figure out how to best deal with it. Logically, he could understand that the cut was clearly infected, the angry red skin and pus were a clear indicator, and past experience told him that the best thing to do would be to clean it out and put a band aid on, but the past injury he’s had hadn’t hurt this badly to touch. 

He also knew that alcohol could clean his hip, which, when he had been living with his parents, had never been in short supply and his father had never kept enough of an eye on it to notice when some was missing, but the only one Wally had ever seen drink in this house was Hal, and only ever beer, which he wasn’t sure would do the trick. All this left him with was hand soap and toilet paper, which he wasn’t even sure would help but it was better than nothing. Biting his lip to keep himself quiet, Wally started prodding the edges of the wound with the wad of wet toilet paper covered in hand soap, despite his light touch, the cut started to hurt and Wally felt like he was taking a razor to his exposed skin rather than soft tissue paper.

Pulling his hand away, he started to recollect his thoughts, deciding that perhaps what would be best would be to drain the pus first, that clean it so he placed the paper on the edge of the counter and started pressing on the skin near the cut, holding out as long as he could before he jerked his hand away with a choked sob. Taking a moment to steady himself, he dipped the crumpled ball of toilet paper into the bath a few times before hastily pressing it against his side, whimpering when the soap started to sting.

After what felt like a lifetime but was probably only thirty seconds, he pulled away, seeing the once pristine paper now bloody and ripped. Tossing the wreckage of his makeshift wipe into the toilet, he tilted his head upward and started breathing deeply, his dinner threatening to make a reappearance. Convinced his stomach wasn’t about to reject it’s contents, he finished undressing and gingerly lowered himself into the warm water and carefully bathed himself, using a cup to wet his hair so he could wash it. Lathering a bar of soap into a washcloth, he started cleaning his body, slapping a hand over his mouth to muffle a sob when soapy water ran into his cut and it started throbbing again.

Finally finished, he climbed out and wrapped himself in a fluffy red towel before leaning over to unplug the drain, noticing the water had a pink tinge to it as it swirled down the drain. Opening the door, he darted to his room with his dirty clothes tucked under his arms, shutting the door behind him quietly. Drying himself off, Wally reexamined the cut now that it was clean and less dirty.

Now that it was more clean, he was disappointed to see that it actually looked worse. The skin around it was red and swollen, though the actual wound was a weird mixture of bloody red and milky white. 

It wasn’t until he was tugging on his pajama bottoms that he noticed the black webs creeping from the skin around the wound. Feeling his anxiety peak, Wally flicked on the lamp on his desk, twisting the neck to point the light directly at his hip, swallowing hard when he noticed that the webs were his veins! With shaking hands, he grabbed his shirt and pulled it over his head in a daze, contemplating whether or not to tell his uncles before deciding against it, if he told them, they would want to touch him and the cut, and that would hurt. Besides, it would go away on it’s own.

“It’ll go away, it’ll go away.” he whispered, hanging up the towel, turning off the lamp, and crawling into his bed, trying to slow down his racing mind. “By this time next week, it’ll be gone.”

~~~

Barry smiled as Wally peaked through the curtains for the fifth time in an hour, checking up and down the street for a recognizable car. Looking at Hal, the blond nodded to their nephew, seeing his husband smirk at the kid before turning back to the potatoes he was working on.

“Iris knows the plan?” He breathed, deftly peeling the spuds and putting them into the pot of water while Barry diced carrots and celery.

“Yeah, I got her caught up.” Barry confirmed. “I guess she’s got a plan up her sleeve.” 

A car horn cut off their conversation, both men turning around to see Wally bouncing on the balls of his feet as he saw his aunt's car turn into the driveway. Hal smiled, wiping his hands on a hand towel and heading to the door to greet his sister in law, Wally following at his heels. As per usual, Iris didn’t knock, just opened the door, a bright smile on her face when she saw Hal.

“Hey brother!” she said, wrapping him a hug before turning to Barry. “Sup Bro?” 

After the siblings had hugged, Iris found Wally instantly bundling him up in a tight embrace.

“Oh my gosh, hi baby! How are you?” She asked, a hand on his cheek as she looked him over.

“I’m fine Auntie.” Wally told her, tentatively leaning back into her hug.

Iris smiled at Barry, scooping Wally up and balancing him on her hip and carrying him into the kitchen.

“Smells good in here!” She exclaimed, leaning against the fridge while the men got back to their dinner prep.

“Thank you.” Hal said, “We’ve got pie for dessert.”

Iris grinned, placing a hand on Wally’s head gently.

“Yummy! What kind?” she asked, watching the pieces of the plan fall into place as Hal looked over his shoulder.

“No idea, ask Barry.” the pilot replied, getting a calculated look of confusion from his lover.

“I didn’t get the pie.” He said, a hand on his hip and the other on the counter.

“What?” Hal asked.

“You were supposed to pick up the pie on your way home from work remember?” Barry reminded him.

Iris felt Wally tense up in her arms and realized the argument, while fake to the adults, was real to Wally and might be scaring him. Getting Barry’s attention, she jerked her head towards their nephew, who had an iron grip on her blouse and was starting to tremble, the man nodded, instantly letting Iris take over.

“So there is no pie?” She asked, rubbing Wally’s back to try and sooth his nerves.

“Guess not.” Hal admitted, playing along despite not fully understanding why they were switching the script.

“No, hang on. There’s a grocery store not even ten minutes from here. I’ll run down and grab us something.” Barry soothed, leaving the counter and walking past Iris and Wally on his way to the door, only to be blocked by her.

“How bout Wally and I go?” She suggested, Wally perking up at the idea in her arms. Barry appeared to mull it over for a second, going so far as to look at Hal, who just shrugged.

“Alright, if you’re sure.” He said, going back to the carrots he had been working on while Iris carried Wally to the front entrance, setting him back on his feet so they could get their shoes on.

Wally wasn’t old enough to ride shotgun, so he crawled into the backseat of his aunts car, shoving out a space for himself among papers, magazines and fast food place napkins while his Aunt scurried into the driver’s seat, looking back at him before she put on her seatbelt.

“Sorry, I really should clean up in here.” She said, her emerald eyes shining while Wally waved her off.

As soon as they both had their seatbelts on, Iris backed out of the driveway and started down the road towards the grocery store, turning the radio down a bit while she thought of how to best reforge the relationship she had previously had with her nephew in the twenty minutes it would take to get pie. All too soon, the little plaza came into view, a chain grocery store, a pizza place, the obligatory Starbucks, a pet shop, and what looked to be a really cute family run smoke shop. All together, nothing that would really open the door to telling Wally how much she missed him and loved him.

Parking the car, the pair headed into the store, finding the bakery section and grabbing an apple pie. After paying, Iris led them back outside, desperately trying to find a way to stall the return to her brother’s house, before noticing people walking out of the smoke shop with ice cream cones. Eyeing it as she crossed the parking lot, she noticed a multicoloured sign in their window advertising homemade ice cream. Smiling to herself, Iris placed the pie in the backseat, but stopped her nephew from getting in.

“Let’s check out that store.” She suggested, pointing to the smoke shop with a pretty red store front and brightly coloured signs. Wally looked up at her with confusion before shrugging and allowing himself to be guided across the parking lot and into the tiny corner store.

The entire place was well lit, rows of candy bars and surprise bags. There were also rows of cigarette packages behind the counter, though Iris was more focused on the actual counter, which had a sneeze barrier and see through sliding doors, under which lay huge tubs of what was obviously homemade ice cream. A woman in her early sixties smiled at the pair from behind the counter, she was wearing an old timey flower print dress and her dark hair was peppered with gray.

“Can I interest you two in anything special today?” She asked, smiling at Wally in a grandmotherly type of way.

“Yeah, can I please get a scoop of green tea in a cone?” Iris ordered, turning to Wally. “What would you like Squirt?” 

Wally startled, before standing on his tippy toes to look at the flavours, evidently not seeing one he recognized.

“Is there chocolate?” He asked, feeling his face flush at the request, relaxing when she hummed.

“Well, we don’t have regular chocolate, but we do have a fudgey brownie that’s always a hit with the young’uns.” The employee replied while scooping Iris’s cone.

“Would you like a scoop of that Wally?” Iris asked.

“Yes please.” He whispered, getting a smile from the older lady.

Once they had both gotten their ice cream and Iris had paid, she led them out into the parking lot, climbing up on the hood of her car and resting her head against the windshield. Wally planted one hand on the hood to brace himself before using the wheel as a step to get himself up, albeit, quite awkwardly, Iris’s free hand hovering at his side to steady him should he slip. Finally getting settled on the hood, Iris put an arm over his shoulder and pulled him closer until he was nestled against her side.

“How’s life with your uncles?” She asked quietly, running her nails up and down his arm, though the mood had changed. Wally put a spoonful of ice cream into his mouth without tasting it, stalling for time.

“It’s alright, a little awkward.” He admitted to her.

“Awkward, why awkward?” Iris asked, watching Wally squirm with discomfort.

“I mean, I don’t really know them at all. I just remember waking up in their house and being told that I was staying with them. I didn’t even know I wasn’t in Nebraska anymore until Barry turned on the news.” He confided, the confusion and fear he had felt when he had first properly woken up in a new place flooding back to the front of his mind.

“That must have been really frightening,” She hummed, squeezing his shoulder. “Has it gotten a little better at least?”

“I guess. They’re really nice, Barry took me shopping and Hal took me to the park. And they never yell or anything, not even at each other.”

Iris ignored the bit about the yelling, fully intending to get back to that later.

“Barry told me about your shopping trip, he told me you had a panic attack in the car.” Wally froze, a bite of his frozen treat halfway to his mouth. “Does that happen often?”

Wally shook his head, lowering the spoon into the paper bowl, trying to hide his shaking hands.

“Not as bad as that.” He whispered.

“But it does happen.” Iris purposely didn’t phrase it as a question, she already had the answer, had had it from the moment her nephew hadn’t immediately denied it. “Have you told your uncles?”

Another shake of the head. Iris sighed to herself, not really surprised.

“Okay, well what if I talk to them, then we-” Wally pulled away from her embrace and cut her off.

“No no no. You can’t tell them, you can’t!” He cried, green eyes wide and scared while Iris tried to placate him.

“Hey, it’s alright!” She soothed, trying to calm down the child beside her. “They won’t mind Honey, they want to help you.”

“No! no no no, don’t tell them! Please Auntie Iris, don’t tell them!” He wailed, sounding like he was on the brink of tears and getting desperate.

“Okay, okay!” Iris conceded, holding up her hands in surrender. “I promise I won’t tell them Wally, alright?”

For a moment the pair just stared at each other, Wally checking to make sure she was telling the truth, while Iris was trying to make sure that he wasn’t about to fall off the car. Finally, Wally seemed to decide she was telling the truth and relaxed, laying back against the hood once more but not tucked under her arm like he had been. Iris respected that he might not be up to cuddling at the moment, so she gave him some more space, but she wasn’t really ready to drop the subject.

“They do want to help you Wally.”

“Okay.”

It hadn’t really been the answer she was hoping for, but she decided to bring up what had really been the reason for the dinner they should be getting back to sometime shortly.

“You know I love you very much, right?” She whispered. Wally looked down at his lap, at the rapidly melting scoop of ice cream in his bowl and bit his lip while Iris took a steadying breath. “I wish that you lived with me.” 

“Why don’t I?” He rasped, still not looking up.

“My job’s very demanding.” She confessed, trying to keep her tears at bay. “I work long, weird hours, I never have a set schedule. I have an apartment but it’s pretty small, just a one room studio that I’m rarely in because I also travel a lot for work. And the Mat leave I have isn’t much, so I wouldn’t have been able to even really spend any time with you.” 

“What’s Mat leave?” Wally asked.

“It’s paid time off a company gives an employee after they’ve had a kid. So ya know how Barry’s been able to stay home with you?” She asked, getting a nod. “Well that’s because he’s using the time off that the CCPD offers to their employees. Barry has about a years time to be able to spend with you, whereas my job offers about two months worth at a maximum. And besides, Social Services prefers it if kids are placed with two parents.”

“Hal said something about that.” He muttered.

“That, and Hal and Barry are a pretty attractive couple. Hal’s a retired Air Force pilot who now test flies planes and Barry works with the police but not out in the field. Both of them make good money, have, for the most part, regular hours, and they both have bachelor’s degrees, and neither have so much as a parking ticket on their records. It was enough to convince the Missouri government to let a gay couple take custody of a kid, and that is hard to do.” She explained, smiling.

Wally nodded again, though he was still looking down and not at her, Iris put a hand on his shoulder.

“The point is, Honey, I can’t be the parent you need right now. When we first talked about who would take you, I was the original choice, and you would go spend the night with Hal and Barry whenever I traveled or had to work late, but after I had a moment to think about it, you would have basically been living with your uncles anyway. It makes more sense for everyone if you live with them.” She said.

It didn’t surprise her when Wally didn’t respond. It was an unfortunate trait all of the West family had, to just continue on as if all were well when something difficult came up. Most famous for it was her dad, but it was something all of them shared, even Barry had picked it up after a few years of living with them. The problem with such a coping mechanism was, one could only compartmentalize for so long before that seal broke and it all came tumbling out.

“Wally.” Iris murmured, leaning down a bit to be closer to him.

“Yeah?”

“May I please hold you?”

That got a reaction. Wally lifted his head and looked at her quizzically, before nodding and shifting closer, leaning his head against her shoulder.

“I love you Wally.” Iris whispered in his ear, rubbing his back kindly.

“Love you too Auntie Iris.” he whispered back, curling further into her embrace.

~~~

Barry and Hal were curled together on the couch, idley talking nonsense with Iris, who sat in the armchair with Wally curled into her lap. They had had a late dinner, courtesy of Iris having a talk with her nephew and clearing up some confusions. The conversation must have gone well, Barry thought to himself, or Wally wouldn’t currently be falling asleep in her lap, his own red hair blending in with hers, occasionally trying to sit up only to return his head to her shoulder, his green eyes unfocused and dimmed.

“Wally.” He called, getting no acknowledgement from the child.

“Wally!” he said again, a little louder, still receiving no response. He can hear Hal chuckle and mutter something about the poor kid being really out of it, and sees Iris smile and run her hand through Wally’s red hair. Standing up, he crosses over to Iris and gently puts a hand on his nephews back, giving him a light shake to rouse him a bit, getting a grumbled protest when he does.

Wally.” He said, getting his nephew to actually lift his head to look at him this time. “Hey kiddo, why don’t you run upstairs and get ready for bed.”

“I wanna stay with Auntie Iris.” The kid slurred, leaning his head back against her shoulder.

Barry’s eyes widened in surprise, shocked that Wally had not jumped to do as he was told, as he so often did whenever he was asked to do something, he can see out of his peripheral that Hal was also taken aback. Purposely softening his voice again, Barry proposed a compromise.

“You don’t have to go to bed just yet, if you don’t want to. But I’d like you to please go brush your teeth and put your pajamas on.” He said, though everyone in the room, including the person it’s directed at, knows that it’s a command.

Wally nodded, carefully sliding off Iris’s lap and starting across the living room towards the kitchen. He was unsteady, stumbling over his own feet as his tired mind tried to connect to his exhausted body enough to get him up the stairs without falling. As soon as Wally had left the room, Barry stood up and made his way back to the couch, leisurely relaxing back under Hal’s arm as the brunette pulled him closer with a smirk.

“I’ve never seen him question you like that.” Hal commented, his arm on Barry’s upper arm.

“Me neither,” Iris confessed, shifting to find a more comfortable position before Wally came back down. 

“The conversation went well then, did it?” Barry asked.

“Yeah, he seemed a little more relaxed by the end. We went to the smokeshop by the grocery store, they make homemade ice cream.”

Barry smiled. “Loyd’s? Yeah they make good stuff, Hal and I have been meaning to take him for a while.”

Hal squeezed Barry’s arm, listening closely while the tap ran upstairs, letting him know exactly where his boy was, though he privately wondered when exactly Wally had become his. He didn’t get time to voice his thoughts, as Wally appeared in the doorway of the kitchen, silent as ever despite his drowsiness. Iris smiled as she saw him, opening her arms to hold him again, smiling at Barry when he resumed his spot on her lap, burying his face into her shoulder, arms wrapping around her neck.

“He looks pretty tired.” Hal observed with a laugh, not worried about Wally hearing him, as the boy seemed pretty out of it.

“Yeah, that’s why I sent him up to get ready for bed. He’s definitely going to fall asleep on her lap, now all one of us has to do is take him up and tuck him in.” Barry said, watching as his sister held his nephew tight, pressing feather-light kisses to the top of his head.

“Dibs.” Iris called, Raising on hand off Wally’s back to mark her claim. 

Hal leaned over, speaking quietly so only Barry could hear him.

“Fifty bucks says he’s out in fifteen minutes.” He whispered, Barry turning into his chest to muffle his laughter.

“I give him ten.” He answered, looking at his lover's watch to see it was pushing nine thirty at night, later than the boy was usually up.

Iris kept up a conversation with Hal and Barry, feeling Wally’s breath tickle her neck. With his face buried in the crook of her neck and her hand on his back, Iris could feel when he drifted off, going limp in her arms. Seeing her brother smile at the boy in her lap before nudging Hal and nodding to his sleeping figure, she knew he could also tell Wally was out. Shifting a little, she moved Wally to a more comfortable position, brushing the hair, both hers and his, off of his face.

“I should head out.” She said, getting a nod from her brother.

“Do you want to put him to bed first?” He asked, still tucked under Hal’s arm. Iris smiled, nodding an affirmation.

“You know where his room is?” Hal asked, sitting up straighter on the couch.

“Yeah, I’ll just go tuck him in and then be out of your hair.” She said.

Standing up felt awkward, Wally didn’t weigh much but she wasn’t used to carrying sleeping children. She did appreciate Hal helping her up with his ring, a gentle force on her back to brace her with while also cradling Wally so she didn’t have to worry about dropping him.

“Aren’t you worried he’ll see?” She giggled, watching as the light retreated back to Hal’s ring, only for him to laugh.

“Kid’s orbiting Saturn right now, I doubt he’d notice anything.” 

Iris nodded, agreeing with her brother in-law, while she carried Wally through the kitchen and up the stairs. The door to his bedroom was cracked, making it easy to push open with her foot. Perching by the pillows, Iris took one hand away to draw back the Flash covers before laying Wally in among them, pulling them back up and tucking them in around his shoulders, taking a moment to get a picture on her phone before kissing him on the forehead and bidding him goodnight.


	13. Getting Comfy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wally isn't feeling well, thankfully, Barry is there to help him out.

Hal held Barry close to his chest as they swayed in the kitchen, knowing from habit that it was six in the morning. It felt like a normal day; wake up, shower, shave, brush his teeth, get dressed, quick breakfast with a cup of coffee, and finally, dance with the love of his life until six thirty when he had to leave.

But this morning didn’t feel right. Something was missing and it took him longer than he’d like to admit to realize what it was. He didn’t feel like he was being watched, there were no eyes on him, no hidden figure from the stairs observing their every move, and after weeks of that being added to the routine of the morning, it felt weird.

“We do not have an audience.” Hal informed his partner, drawing back to get a better look at the stairs to see if he had just missed where Wally was hiding.

“Maybe he’s still asleep, he had a really late night.” Barry suggested.

“He’s had late nights before and been up with us in the morning.” Hal pointed out, still searching for his nephew.

“Do you want to go wake him up?” Barry asked incredulously, giving Hal a snarky look.

“No no, he’s fine.” Hal backtracked quickly. “It’s just weird that he isn’t up.”

“Well, he’s been a little more at ease. Maybe he’s just settling in.” The blond offered, pulling closer to Hal.

“Maybe. We have a meeting with his lawyer tomorrow, don’t we?”

“Yeah, at three thirty.” Barry replied.

“Well that should be interesting.” Hal acknowledged.

“I personally think we should brace ourselves for a very stressful day.”

“I agree. What are we discussing?”

“The lawyer wants to review the case, I guess he wants to go over witnesses and what we want to formally charge Rudy and Mary with.” Barry explained and Hal frowned.

“I thought we already knew what we were charging them with.” Hal said.

“I did too, but if the lawyer thinks that they can get a harder sentence, or the one we’re charging them with won’t stick but a lighter one will.” Sighing, Barry rested his head against Hal’s chest. “And Wally hasn’t gone and given a statement to the police yet, so we need to get that done.”

“Do we really need to? I mean, the hospital records should be enough, shouldn’t they?”

“I honestly don’t know.” Barry admitted. “We can ask when we meet with the lawyer tomorrow. But right now, you need to get to work.”

Hal nodded, dropping the embrace and kissing his husband, quickly tying his shoes and heading off to work, waving to Barry out the window as he drove off.

~~~

Wally woke up shivering. 

Closing his eyes tighter, he pulled the blanket up over his face, inwardly wondering when he had gotten to bed. He was also hoping it wasn’t morning yet, as he really didn’t want to get out of bed. Then he heard the front door shut.

‘Son of a gun.’ He thought to himself, rolling over to check the alarm clock and being angry when he saw that it was already six thirty, giving him fifteen minutes to be dressed and downstairs if he wanted to keep his routine up.

Gritting his teeth, Wally sat up, tossing the blankets off of him. And then immediately regretted it, scrambling to pull them back up when cold air hit him. Taking a deep breath, Wally slowly inched his way out from under his covers before dashing to his drawers, routing through them to find the comfiest, warmest pieces of clothing he had, before returning back under his covers to change underneath them. Finally ready to face the world, Wally emerged from his bed, carefully taking the time to make it, which was hard when his hands kept shaking, and headed downstairs.

Barry knew something was wrong the moment Wally entered the kitchen. Usually, the kid was bright-eyed and alert, always tracking him through the room to know exactly where he was at all times. Today though, he was slow and shaky, keeping his eyes downward.

“Morning Wally.” He greeted, getting a half hearted wave in return and a forced smile. Moving closer, Barry noticed that Wally was pale, at least, more than he usually was.

“Are you feeling alright Squirt?” He asked, kneeling down in front of his nephew.

Wally stayed still for a moment before shaking his head. His uncle frowned and shifted closer, raising his hand and placing the back of it against his forehead.

“What are you doing?” Wally asked, though he was grateful for the touch, because at least Barry was warm.

“Checking your temperature.” He explained, not moving his hand. “You’re a bit warm.”

“I don’t feel warm.” Wally complained, shoving his hands in his sweater pockets and curling his shoulders forward against a chill Barry couldn’t feel. 

Moving his hand, Barry looked Wally over, noticing that he was wearing a pair of the warmer pants he had, as well as a thick hoodie. While it was an autumn day, it wasn’t particularly cold out, though, he mused, he did run warmer than the average human and Wally didn’t have any natural insulation to keep himself warm with, and he had a fever. 

“Why don’t you go settle in on the couch,” Barry stood up, placing a hand on Wally’s back and urging him to the living room. “And I’ll get you something warm to drink, alright?”

Wally nodded, gratefully stumbling over to the couch and curling up against the arm, eager to just go back to sleep. He vaguely heard Barry moving around in the kitchen but largely ignored it, choosing instead to pull his sweater up to his chin to warm himself up. A few moments later, he felt Barry shaking his shoulder smiling when he opened his eyes and sat up a bit.

“Hey kiddo, I brought you some tea.” He said in a sugary tone, setting the mug down on the coffee table easily in reach of the child before sitting down beside him.

“Thank you.” Wally muttered, reaching forward and grabbing the mug, taking care not to spill any on himself with his shaky hands. The tea itself was sweet, though it had a bitter undertone, giving the impression that it had been sweetened with something else.

“I put honey in it. If it’s still really bitter I can add more.” Barry offered. Wally shook his head, placing the mug back on the table and rested his head against the sofa.

“It tastes fine, thank you though.” 

Barry nodded, grabbing the remote off the table and flicking on the television, finding the cartoon network and turning the volume down a little. The two watched a show Wally had never heard of, featuring some weird aliens with the names of rocks, while he finished his tea. Halfway through the episode of the weird alien show, Barry got up and went to the kitchen, grabbing something out of the cupboards and leaving Wally’s field of view. When he came back, he was carrying a plate full of saltines, which he placed on the table beside Wally’s mug.

“You don’t have to do it now, but I would appreciate it if you tried to eat something.” Barry told him, sitting back down on the couch. Wally nodded his acknowledgement, grabbing a cracker off the plate and nibbling on it while he watched the show.

~~~~

Wally woke up on the couch, which was weird because he didn’t even remember falling asleep. Humming a bit, he sat up, his head feeling foggy and unfocused. He vaguely registered that he had a blanket tucked over his shoulders and one of the throw pillows from the armchair by the window had been placed under his head, something he hadn’t done.

“Hey sleepy head.”

Wally looked over to his left to see his uncle at the other end of the couch, a heavy, yellowed paperback in his hand. Wally waved a little, making Barry chuckle.

“What time is it?” Wally asked, rubbing his eyes.

“Almost noon.”

His head snapped up, if it was almost twelve o’clock in the afternoon, he must have been asleep for a few hours, at least.

“Sorry.” he whispered.

“Don’t be. You looked tired, your body must have needed the rest.” Barry assured him, going back to his book. 

“What are you reading?” He inquired, sitting up all the way and peeking at the page he could see.

“ Inferno by Dan Brown.” Barry told him, lifting the book so Wally could see the cover. It looked odd, an old timey looking man on the cover with a red head covering and a cracked yellow city in the background. Somehow, Wally didn’t get the impression that it was a happy book.

“Is it good?” Barry nodded, lowering the cover to return it to his lap.

“I’m enjoying it.”

“Can I read it when you're done?” His uncle shook his head with a laugh.

“I don’t think so kiddo, it’s got some pretty mature content.” Barry told him kindly, “But if you’d like something to read, we can check the shelves to see if we have something a little more age appropriate.” 

“Yes please.” Wally said.

Barry nodded, placing a piece of cardboard in the pages of his book before closing it and standing up, reaching out his hand to Wally, leading him over to the stairs, turning away from the front entrance and opening a door to a small room, covered in wall to wall shelves full of books., except for another door a few feet beside the one they had just come through. Barry released his hand and started looking through the shelves to find something that might be appropriate for an eight year old, quietly muttering to himself as he did so. 

“Where does that door go?” Wally asked, pointing to the one beside the door they had just come in from. Barry looked where he was pointing before going back to looking through the books.

“The basement.” He replied.

“There’s a basement?” 

“Yeah, it’s not very exciting. It’s unfinished so it’s always pretty cold, we really just keep the washer and dryer down there.” Barry explained, pulling a book from the shelf. “Ever read Harry Potter?”

When Wally shook his head Barry put the book in his hand.

“It’s good, a cult classic.” He said, reclaiming his nephew’s hand and leading him back to the living room. He noticed that Wally was still running warm, not so much that he was very worried, but enough to perhaps warrant some fever medicine if it didn’t break before dinner.

Getting Wally settled back on the couch, Barry grabbed his book and picked up where he left off. His nephew was quiet, occasionally picking up a cracker and slowly nibbling it while he read. After a few minutes, Barry noticed that Wally hadn’t made it past the first page, dimly staring at the middle of the page.

“Wally,” Barry called, getting his nephews attention, “Everything okay?”

The little boy immediately nodded, though he wouldn’t look near his uncle and he had started to fidget with his pant legs.

“Are you sure?” Barry asked, schooching closer to look over his shoulder. Wally nodded again, keeping his eyes down on the book. Reading over the first page, Barry remembered that Wally was only eight and had missed practically all of his school year because of the hospitalization and not being healthy enough to be starting a new school. He was probably only reading at a first grade level and the Harry Potter books were well above that, he was likely struggling with the vocabulary.

“Are you having trouble reading the book?” He pushed. He instantly knew he’d hit the nail on the head when the fidgeting stopped and he got a hesitant nod. Reaching out, Barry grabbed the top of the book, gently tugging it towards him.

“Here, let’s see if we can make this easier,” He suggested, Wally letting go of the book so his uncle could take it. “What if I read to you?”

Wally smiled, shifting closer to be able to look at the words on the page.

“Yes please.” He said.

Barry draped his arm over his nephews shoulders, pulling him against his side and feeling him curl into the embrace.

“Mr and Mrs Dursley, of number four Privet Drive, were proud to say they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.”

~~~~~

Hal stepped over the threshold into the house to smell chicken soup, the kind Barry made whenever he needed a comfort food. Unlacing his boots and taking them off, Hal made his way to the living room, finding Barry on the couch with a book.

“Hey you.” Hal said, greeting his husband with a kiss. “Everything okay?”

“Of course, why?” He laughed, running his fingers through Hal’s hair.

“You made chicken soup.” Hal explained, taking a seat beside him.

“Ohh!” Barry smiled, “No, everything’s fine. Wally wasn’t feeling too hot today so I made some chicken soup. Sorry to worry you.”

“Oh no, poor kid. What’s wrong?”

“Just a bit of a fever and some chills. Seemed a little out of it this morning but he was doing better by dinner time, I gave him a Tylenol and sent him to bed.” Barry relayed, leaning against Hal and kissing him on the cheek.

“As long as he’s alright,” Hal murmured, resting his cheek against the top of Barry’s head.

“I think he’s good, he just needed a little recovery time. Hence the chicken soup.”

“So just a quiet day at home then?” He asked.

“Mhmm, we started reading the first Harry Potter book.” 

“Sweet.” Hal said, pressing a kiss to Barry’s forehead before getting up and heading into the kitchen, opening the fridge to find a bowl of leftover soup front and center, covered in cling wrap. Tossing it in the microwave for three minutes, he wandered back to Barry while he waited for his dinner to heat up.

“We should head to bed soon, tomorrow’s gonna suck so I don’t want to be tired for it.” Hal said, leaning against the wall beside the couch while Barry nodded in agreement. “I’m glad Wally’s in bed this early, I don’t know if he’s going to sleep well tomorrow.

“Speaking of him sleeping well, did he come visit us last night?” 

“No, he stayed in his room.”

“Do you still want to talk to him about it?” Barry asked, closing his book.

“Yeah, I do.” Hal admitted, “I’m not gonna tell him off or anything, I’m just curious as to why he’s doing it, I’m willing to bet he never did it with his parents.”

“Be that as it may, I feel like we’ve made some progress, it would really suck to have weeks worth of building trust undone in ten minutes.”

The microwave beeped, causing Hal to head back into the kitchen, followed by Barry, both of them standing at the island while Hal ate.

“Like I said, I’m not gonna be a jerk to him.” He reiterated, getting a pointed look from Barry. “Okay, so what if I don’t actually talk to him right away? What if I just pull him up to the pillows?”

“What do you mean ‘pull him up to the pillows’ he’s on the bed, where else can he be?” Barry asked.

“He has never come up to the actual pillows, his head is always somewhere near your stomach, like your mid chest at the highest.” Hal told him, taking another spoonful of soup.

“Why?” Wondered Barry, causing Hal to choke on his soup from laughing.

“I don’t know,” He said, still chuckling, “It’s one of the questions I’d like to ask him.”

When he saw Barry was still looking worried, he wrapped an arm around his shoulders, pulling the speedster closer to him.

“We can talk about it more later, we should be getting to bed.” The blond said, successfully putting the entire conversation on hold. Hal nodded his agreement, releasing Barry to go back to his dinner.

“Okay, why don’t you go wash up, I’ll follow you in a minute.”

Barry smiled, kissing Hal’s cheek and heading up the stairs, disappearing from Hal’s sight while he finished his meal, rinsed the bowl, and put it in the dishwasher before following his husband up to bed.

~~~~~

Hal woke up to a familiar feeling of being watched, staying still, he listened for his nephew while the child entered the room. He had done this little song and dance enough by this point to know that Wally was good at being quiet, so it didn’t surprise him when he only knew for sure where the little boy was when he felt the end of the bed dip slightly when he crawled up on it. Keeping his eyes closed, he felt Wally slowly make his way up further onto the bed, habitually curling up near Barry’s chest, and only then did Hal open his eyes. Wally’s forehead was resting against Barry’s torso, his fingers lightly gripping the blankets covering his uncle, shifting his gaze past Barry, Hal could see the numbers of the old alarm clock Barry kept on his bedside table.

‘Eleven o’clock, right on schedule.’ He thought. 

Knowing from prior experience that Wally was only going to stay for fifteen to twenty minutes, Hal settled in for the wait, trying to gather any information he could from his kids' visits. He could see that Wally was shaking and figured that he was cold, grappling with the idea of pulling him up closer and inviting him under the blankets despite the fact that he had told Barry he wouldn’t talk to the kid just yet. It wasn’t until Hal heard a muffled sob from his nephew that he realised the kid was crying.

Biting his tongue to keep from calling the boy out, Hal closed his eyes once more, mentally counting the minutes until he felt Wally leave, still teary from what Hal could hear. Rolling onto his back, Hal rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands, guessing that Wally had probably come to them, or more specifically Barry, for comfort. Though he wasn’t sure if he had gotten what he was fully looking for. Making a note to talk to Barry about it tomorrow, he tried his best to get back to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for being so patient, as I mentioned previously, I work at a grocery store and work is getting very stressful, I really appreciate al of your kind words and comments, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.


	14. A Very Bad Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things take a turn for the worst when the Allen-Jordan family have to meet with their nephews lawyer, and the down-spiral continues when Barry and Hal discover a secret Wally's been keeping.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING!!! WARNING!!! WARNING!!!  
> There will be mentions of sex (Though it's mild) vivid descriptions of a panic attack and in depth details of an injury. read at your own risk.

Barry leaned against the hood of his car, waiting to see the familiar blue car that belonged to his husband arrive. Beside him, Wally was standing stock still, his emerald eyes downcast and unfocused, just staring at the ground. He had been aware and alert when they had first arrived in the parking lot, but it had been a while and he wasn’t feeling well, the medicine Uncle Barry had given him before they left hadn’t helped him any.

The sound of shifting gravel pulled the redhead from his thoughts, leaning to look past his Uncle Barry, he saw Uncle Hal’s car stopped in the spot beside theirs, the music audible from the outside. Barry laughed as the music was cut and the car shut off, Hal climbing out of the car and spreading his arms wide.

“Sorry I’m late, I got caught in construction!” He said, moving around the car and pulling Barry in for a quick kiss before ruffling Wally’s hair.

“It’s no problem, I knew you wouldn’t be late unless you actually couldn’t help it.” Barry reassured him, breaking the embrace to put a hand on Wally’s shoulder while Hal went to the boy’s other side, the trio heading towards the lawyers office. As they were walking, Hal put his hand on Wally’s back, his fingers over Barry’s while his thumb was on the boy’s neck. Frowning, Hal moved his thumb a little, feeling fevered heat radiating from the child’s exposed skin despite the fact that he was shivering, the boy must still be unwell and Hal wondered if he was just overwhelmed from going to the Queen’s on the weekend, then dinner with his aunt, and now a meeting with his lawyer all while he was still fairly uncomfortable with both he and Barry. As they approached the door to the attorneys office, Hal silently promised to make sure that the kid had a relaxing next few days to get better, the last thing he wanted was for his nephew to have to recover from the flu.

They didn’t have to wait, the receptionist sending them down a long hallway til they found the door they were looking for, a pretty brunette in a flower print skirt with a blue blouse ushering them inside with a smile. Getting settled in one of the three chairs, Hal noticed Wally doing his habitual inspection of the room he was in, mapping out his exit route in his head before dropping his gaze into his lap. The lawyer smiled brightly at the couple, greeting them by name before grabbing a large file from her cabinet and sitting in her desk chair to start the meeting.

“Let’s jump right in shall we?” At the couple’s nod, she continued, “Obviously, Rudolph and Mary have decided to plead innocent, otherwise we wouldn’t be here. They aren’t on the same charges, so they both have separate lawyers. My understanding is that Rudolph is using an attorney provided by the state, Mary has a private lawyer.” 

“Does it matter that they both have separate lawyers?” Hal asked.

“It does, because unfortunately we can’t just go to court once for both of them, we’ll have to go twice. The law states that there has to be communication between their lawyers and myself so we can all properly prepare our cases. I’m almost positive that Rudolph doesn’t stand a chance, even his lawyer knows that, but Mary’s a different problem. Her lawyer has chosen to try to paint her as a battered housewife who had no choice but to go along with the abuse.”

“Well that’s a load of crap.” Barry muttered under his breath, gritting his teeth.

“It is but unfortunately it’s an incredibly effective tool. Now, the good news is; they really don’t have a case to make, there have been no emergency room trips for Mary and she didn’t have any physical signs of abuse. However; she has a much better chance of getting off with time served, and she intends to try to get custody of Wally.”

Hal didn’t need to look at his nephew to know that he didn’t like that idea. The little redhead had started crying, pulling his legs up to hide his face while sobbing the word ‘no’ repeatedly, his fingers gripping his red locks with a vengeance. Hal didn’t need to be a genius to understand that this was probably building up to a full-blown panic attack. Shooting an apologetic look at the lawyer, Hal turned his attention to his kid, rubbing soothing circles on his back while Barry got out of his chair to kneel in front of him.

“Wally, Wally. Can you look at me kid?” He asked, putting his hands on the arms of the chair.

“I don’t wanna g-g-go with Mama!” Wally wailed, the words muffled by his legs but there was no masking the rapid breaths, “Pl-please, I don’t wanna! I don’t wanna!” 

The attorney gave the trio a watery smile, routing around in one of her desk drawers and handing Hal a brown paper bag.

“Get him to breathe into that, it’ll keep him from hyperventilating.” She suggested, patiently settling in to wait for the child to calm down.

Taking the bag, Hal tried to get Wally’s attention, giving him an encouraging smile when he looked up.

“Hey kiddo,” He cooed, opening the bag and holding it near his mouth, “You’re doing so well, I know this is scary. Can you please try to breathe into the bag for me?”

Upon receiving a nod, Hal gently placed the opening over the little boy’s mouth and watched it start to inflate and deflate rapidly. Barry was still kneeling in front of the chair, slowly moving his hands to Wally’s arms and carefully working his way up to his wrists, working to detangle his fingers from his hair, pulling his hands down and holding them so he couldn’t hurt himself with his nails. As they reached the three minute mark, both Hal and Barry noticed that the child seemed to have his breathing under control and was trying to move his mouth away from the bag. Placing the bag in his lap, Hal started wiping away his kid’s tears.

“There we go, well done.” He praised, “I know that really sucked didn’t it?”

“I don’t want to go with Mama.” Wally whimpered, looking at Hal with sad green eyes, rimmed red from his tears.

“If I may,” the lawyer piped up, leaning forward to prop her elbows on her desk, “Nobody in this room wants you to go with your mother, okay? Everyone in here is on your side.”

The boy looked down, muttering something along the lines of not knowing her.

“Alright, that’s fair. You’re name’s Wally, right?” she asked, getting a nod, “Hello Wally, my name’s Melissa, I’m going to be presenting your case in court to make sure that your parents get punished for hurting you, okay?”

When Wally nodded she smiled, standing up and heading to the hallway, waving down it to summon another woman with waist length blonde hair dyed pink at the ends in blue jeans and a black tee shirt.

“Wally, this is Melanie. Would you be able to follow her to get you cleaned up while I talk to your uncles for a second?” 

Wally looked up to Hal who nodded enthusiastically while Melanie crept into the room and sat on the edge of Melissa’s desk.

“Hey Wally, if you wanted to come with me, we have chocolate milk in the break room, you can have some while we get you cleaned up.”

“Okay.” Wally whispered, looking quickly at his uncles’ for approval.

“Go ahead kiddo, we’ll be right here when you get back.” Barry reassured him, watching his nephew take Melanie’s hnd and be led out of the room.

As soon as they were gone, Barry reclaimed his seat and both men sighed.

“Thank you for the tip, I take it that isn’t the first time that’s happened?” Hal asked Melissa. The brunette shook her head, a sad smile on her face.

“Sadly, it happens a lot. I work with a lot of kids, oftentimes they have to testify against an abuser, and that’s hard on grown adults, I can only imagine the strain it puts on little kids.” gesturing to the array of beanie babies and squeeze toys on her desk, she continued, “That’s why I invested in these, it’s a little easier to get through having to talk about a plan to face the people who hurt you when you have something to fiddle with and distract yourself, I should have offered him one before we started.”

“We planned on today being difficult, I’m not surprised that he’s feeling anxious.” Barry admitted, reaching over to hold Hal’s hand. 

“I’m glad you’re prepared for it, but I’m afraid that it’s going to get worse from here. Courts can be really stressful on the kids and it can be terrible for them having to see their abusers again. It gives me an edge because I can use it to win my case but I know it’s hard on them, especially a kid so young.” Melissa said.

“What are the real odds of Mary getting custody?” Hal asked, dread pooling in his stomach. 

He would be the first to admit that he hadn’t fully expected to get attached to Wally, the idea of having a kid in the house permanently always feeling slightly unreal, but now he couldn’t even picture a tomorrow without him, every event he was looking forward to now included the little boy, from his wedding to any vacation the family went on.

“Well here’s the thing,” Melissa began, “You and I both know Mary isn’t fit to call herself a parent and in an ideal world there would be a test you have to take to be one. But this isn’t an ideal world and Mary is Wally’s mother.”

“So she stands a good chance then.” Barry sighed.

“I don’t think there’s a scenario in which she would get full custody, and if we make a good enough case, she may only be able to see him on your terms. The key is that you guys have to phrase it so you’re concerned with his interests, both of you can testify about why you should have custody. If you sound like you’re angry at Mary, you’ll lose but if you sound like you're worried for Wally’s health, the Judge is more likely to lean in your favour.”

“Well how do we do that?” Hal wondered.

“I would start making documents of things he tells you about his parents as well as detailed descriptions of any problems he’s having because of what he went through. Like the anxiety attack he just had, if you two mention those issues, and how the very thought of having to go back to his mother drove him into override, she may only get supervised visitation.

“We could also get Wally to give reasons why he doesn’t want to go with her. It doesn’t have to be verbal, he could write them down or he could tell you and you could write them down. He could also be recorded and we can play that.”

Barry nodded his acknowledgement, squeezing Hal’s hand hard.

“That’s certainly a lot to think about.” He admitted, tracing circles on the back of Hal’s hand with his thumb.

“It is and I’m sorry. One more quick thing about custody, I know you both are planning on fighting for it, but have either of you given much thought to adoption?” She asked, looking between the two men.

“We haven't discussed it, why?” Hal asked.

“If you were to adopt him, it would mean that Mary wouldn’t be able to get custody once she’s served her time unless you two lose it. He would be yours, no more CPS, no more custody battles, it’d be easier to travel with him, really there are only upsides to adoption.” Melissa explained, counting off reasons on her fingers and waving them at the pair.

“Well that does sound appealing.” Hal muttered.

“Knock knock!” A chipper voice called from the doorway.

Turning, Hal saw Melanie at the doorway with Wally holding her hand with a styrofoam cup in the other. He looked a little better, less like he was about to pass out and the chocolate milk mustache he was sporting was absolutely adorable. Waving him over, Hal scooped him up to transfer him over his lap and into his seat, keeping a hand on his shoulder.

“Hey Squirt, feeling better?” He asked, getting a nod in return. “That’s good.”

“Are you alright to continue Wally?” Melissa asked in a soft voice.

“Y-yeah.” Wally whispered, nibbling at his lip.

“Perfect!” She said, grabbing a squeeze toy from the edge of her desk and leaning over it to hand it to the child, “Here, you can squeeze this if you start to feel overwhelmed, and if you want to take a break, just tell us and we can stop, alright?”

Wally nodded, taking the little cylinder in his free hand and looking at it, quickly losing interest in the adults' conversation in favour of playing with the toy. It was a clear ball with some sort of gel inside of it with little clownfish, starfish, and a scuba diver suspended in it, all of the contents moved when he pressed into it. Keeping an ear open for any questions or comments that might be directed his way, he started a game of trying to direct all the sea creatures into a clump, smiling to himself when they moved in ways he didn’t want them too.

It didn’t take Barry long to notice that Wally wasn’t paying attention, his focus solely on the squeeze ball in his lap. Given that they didn’t really need his input at the moment, he didn’t interrupt, instead turning his attention back to the conversation at hand.

“If Wally does agree to testify, my main worry is that he’ll freeze in front of his father.” Hal admitted.

“Oh that’s no problem, we can bring in a screen to block his father from sight, we do it all the time with witnesses who are afraid to talk in front of the accused.” Melissa reassured, jotting down something on the notebook infront of her.

“Will he still be able to see us?” Barry asked. Melissa froze, putting the pen down slowly.

“Here’s the thing Barry. Neither you nor Iris will be able to be in the courtroom with him-”

“What!”

“Rudolph’s lawyer has named both of you as potential witnesses, meaning that you can’t be in the room while Wally testifies. You can wait for him in the back room and you can be with him before, after, and during breaks but you won’t be able to be in there with him.” She said sympathetically.

“Why on earth would they call Barry and Iris as witnesses?” Hal demanded.

“The truth is that they likely want to destabilize Wally, make it easier to confuse him to make him look, and that’s easier the less people he has in the room with him. The official reason is that because Barry and Iris grew up with him, they could tell the judge whether the Rudolph they knew growing up was capable of this. Character witnesses.” She explained.

“Fuck.” Hal muttered.

“Hal!” Barry chided.

“What?” He asked. Barry nodded at Wally, still entranced by the toy he’d been lent, “He isn’t paying attention.”

“I agree that it isn’t ideal, but it’s really just to shake Wally up, I doubt Barry or Iris will even be called as witnesses by the other lawyer.” 

Hal thought for a moment, leaning back in his chair and digging the palms of his hands into his closed eyes.

“So if we brought other people we know to sit in and just be moral support for Wally, is that allowed?” He asked finally.

“Umm, yes it is. Who were you thinking of bringing?”

“My best friend and his fiance, we took Wally to meet them this past weekend and he got along pretty well with their son.” 

Melissa started nodding, catching on to what Hal was suggesting.

“It isn’t a bad idea.” She admitted writing it down on her notepad. “They would have to pay for their own hotel room though.” 

“I’ll talk to them later about it.” Hal said.

~~~~

Barry, Hal, and Wally left the lawyers office much the same way they had gone in, with Hal and Barry keeping a hand on their kids back. There was no hiding the tension that was in the kids body, he was wound so tight Hal was surprised he could even move. Getting to their parked cars, Hal waited while Barry got Wally situated in the backseat before turning to his husband.

“Are you sure we can just ask Ollie to come hang out in a courtroom to watch our nephew testify against his father?” He asked, leaning against the closed door.

“He said to call him if we needed anything, this does technically count as anything.” He reminded.

“I’m pretty sure he meant that he’d take Wally for the weekend if you and I wanted to have sex, not drag his family to Nebraska for a lawsuit.” Barry hissed, trying to keep his voice down so Wally couldn’t hear him while getting his point across to Hal. “And I don’t think it would be good for Roy to listen to any of that.”

“First, if you want to have sex, we don’t need Oliver, we have pillows for a reason. Second, I agree, it wouldn’t do Roy good to listen to the testimony.” 

Barry threw his hands in the air, eyes rolled so far back in his head Hal could barely see the blue in them anymore.

“I was thinking Roy could just be a distraction for afterwards.” Barry looked to be on the verge of snapping so Hal yielded. “Look, there’s no harm in asking, I’ll call Ollie and he and Dinah can talk it over. We don’t even fully have a case yet, there’s plenty of time to work this out.”

When Barry didn’t move, or even really acknowledge the statement Hal stepped forward, bridging the gap between them and pulling Barry into his chest. He could see Wally through the window over Barry’s shoulder, looking down at his lap. Kissing Barry’s cheek, Hal whispered,

“We don’t have to sort this out right now, or even today. We can go home, order a pizza or five, take care of our boy, and watch a movie, how does that sound?” 

“He’s ‘our boy’ now, is he?” Barry laughed, curling into the embrace.

“He’s been our boy since we took him home that first night babe.”

“Okay then, glad we’re on the same page.” He responded, “Let’s go home.”

~~~~

Wally was tucked against the arm of the sofa, resting his head against it. He had changed from his jeans and tee shirt into sweatpants and a too large long sleeve shirt with a hood that was covering his hair, it was certainly more comfortable attire then what he had previously been wearing. He still felt on edge, he was jumpy and his hands wouldn’t stop shaking. At least dinner had been alright, Hal had ordered pizzas for delivery and they had eaten while watching a movie in the living room rather than at the table, it was better than Wally had expected, the only pizza he had ever eaten was the stuff made at the school which was always gluey and a weird mix of over and under-cooked. Barry had even given him a little cup of Root Beer, which he had enjoyed, his cup was empty now though and he really wanted some water.

Forcing himself to sit up despite his aching muscles begging him to stay down, Wally grabbed his cup and stood up, heading into the kitchen.

“Where’re you going Wally?” Uncle Barry asked, nestled under Uncle Hal’s arm with his eyes closed.

“I’m just getting some water.” The boy said, getting a hum from his uncle in response. Taking that to mean that it was okay to continue on his little mission.

Getting water was a bit tricky, Wally had to stand on his tippy toes to even reach the handle to turn on the tap, and because his hands were shaking so much, he couldn’t hold the cup still, water splashing down the sides making the glass wet. Quickly turning the water off, he tried to head back to the living room, only for the bottom of the cup to hit the edge of the sink, under normal circumstances, Wally would have been able to correct with only a little spill, but he was tired, his hands weren’t steady, and the glass was wet. It fell to the floor, shattering on impact.

Barry sat bolt upright as he heard the crash from the kitchen, feeling Hal jump beside him. Both adults hurried to the kitchen, finding Wally haphazardly in the middle of a mess of glass shards and spilled water. It was obvious that the boy was panicking again, he was breathing too hard and his eyes were unfocused.

‘Twice in one day, poor baby.’ Barry thought, carefully kneeling down to coax Wally towards him and away from the sharp debris.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry… Please no… I’m sorry!” The little boy wept, taking a step back when Barry extended his arms to him.

“Shh, shh kiddo, it’s alright. It was just an accident there’s no harm done.” Barry comforted, shifting a little closer, “Why don’t you come here, I don’t want you to get hurt.” 

Wally shook his head, taking another step backwards, closer to a large piece a jagged glass. Hal bit his lip, trying to think of a way to get the boy away from the danger. If he or Barry just made a grab for him, he would certainly step backward, increasing the chances of him hurting himself and it would drive him further into his fear.

Barry was having similar thoughts, having also noticed the scary piece of glass close to his nephew. He was starting to ponder whether he could just use his speed to grab Wally, the boy clearly pretty far out of it, he doubted the boy would even notice if his uncle moved with speed too fast for the average human.

“Come on sweetie, it’s alright.” He cooed, opening his arms, “But you’re really worrying me honey, can you please come here?”

Wally shook his head, his movements jerky and rapid. He was still mumbling mercy pleas, though the words were so strung together that Barry couldn’t make out much. As he saw Hal move out of his peripheral, Wally jumped, throwing himself backwards, stepping directly on the glass and letting out a shriek of pain.

‘Goddamn it!’ Barry cursed inwardly, darting forward and scooping Wally up in his arms, the now bloody piece of glass at his feet. The child buried his head in his uncle’s shoulder, sobbing through his panic attack and his pain, clinging to Barry’s shirt with a weak grip. Barry heard Hal carefully making his way to their side, wrapping an arm around his lover’s shoulder and slowly guiding him away from the mess towards the stairs.

“If you want to take him upstairs and start getting him sorted out, I’ll clean up the glass and meet you in a moment.” He said, giving Barry a soft push towards the stairs, watching him gingerly make his way up before heading back into the kitchen.

Barry rubbed Wally’s back as he headed into the master bedroom, grappling with what to deal with first. He knew he needed to take a look at the boy’s foot and the cut cleaned, but he was worried that the panic attack might get worse.

‘Do I calm him down and then deal with the cut, or do I deal with the cut and then calm him down?’ he wondered, pressing a few kisses to Wally’s hair. The decision ended up being made for him when he tried to leave Wally on the bed to get the first aid kit, the boy refusing to release his grip on the older man’s shirt, burying his face deeper into the fabric.

“Oh baby.” He murmured, sitting on the edge of the bed and holding his nephew close, whispering comforts to him and rubbing his back. He could hear Hal downstairs, probably getting the glass into a disposable bag and heading to the front entrance, Wally flinching in his lap when the door closed loudly.

“Shh, it’s okay it’s okay. Hal’s just cleaning up downstairs, we’re alright.” He whispered. Normally, neither Hal nor himself would shut the door that hard, but he knew his husband hated feeling like he couldn’t help someone hurt and was probably hurrying to find them upstairs.

He had just gotten Wally properly calmed down when Hal rushed into the room, hurrying over to the bed and wrapping Barry and Wally in a hug, kissing Wally on the top of his head. Barry shifted the child in his arms, ready to hand him off to Hal so he could go get the first aid kit.

“Wally, I’m gonna hand you over to your Uncle Hal okay? Then we can work on getting your foot cleaned up.”

It took some coaxing to get Wally to loosen his grip enough to free Barry’s shirt, but soon Wally was laying out on the bed with his head on Hal’s lap and his feet dangling over the side near Barry’s bedside table. The blond darted into the bathroom, grabbing the first aid kit and rushing back to the bed, kneeling down and gently pulling Wally’s foot towards him and peeling the sock off.

Opening an antiseptic wipe, Barry started dabbing around the bloody spot, feeling Wally try to pull his leg away from the sting. He could hear Hal talking to Wally and the boy went still again, so he continued, carefully cleaning the cut and keeping a watch for any pieces of glass that might be stuck in the skin. Barry smiled to himself when he saw that the injury wasn’t deep, it just looked scary. Swiftly opening a band-aid, he put a dollop of polysporin on the pad of it and placed it over the cut, sticking the edges of the band-aid to his nephew's foot. 

“There we go kiddo, all done!” He chirped, gathering the garbage and starting to pack up the first aid kit while Wally pulled his leg back onto the bed.

Getting up from the floor, Barry went back into the bathroom and put the first aid kit back under the sink and throwing the wipes and wrappers in the bin, seeing Hal running his fingers down Wally’s side through the open door. As Hal reached his hip the boy flinched, tensing up. Concerned brown eyes met worried blue one, both men noticing the pained reaction.

“Wally, does your side hurt?” Hal asked, lightly moving my fingers around near his hip, finding the sensitive area when Wally’s breath hitched.

“No.” He croaked, shifting to move away from Hal’s hand. Hal looked at Barry with a look of humour and disbelief, it was clear that if there was something their nephew couldn’t do, it was lie.

“Here, let me see.” Barry said, grabbing the hem of the child’s shirt and moving it up to look underneath, gasping at what he saw.

The gash was obviously infected, pus leaking out from the edges of a dark red scab. Hal took the fabric from him, pulling it up farther to give Barry a better view, instructing Wally to be still when he started to squirm. The waistband of his pants was obstructing a good part of the wound, so Barry slowly inched it down to be able to see all of it, inhaling sharply when he noticed that the darkness of the scab wasn’t exclusive to the actual cut but was creeping along his veins and disappearing down into the boys covered legs. Tracing the webs closer to the boy's torso, he felt an unease pool in his stomach, fixing the boy's pants and pulling his shirt back down to cover him, Barry looked Hal in the eye.

“I think we need to go to the hospital.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just for clarification, Barry didn't take Wally's pants down in any way that would expose his undergarments, he just moved the waistband down enough so he could see the cut, there was no nudity.


	15. The Bad Day Pt.2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wally's injury finally gets treated, much to his displeasure and Hal grapples with his own emotions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING!!! WARNING!!! WARNING!!!  
> There will be vivid depictions of blood, injuries and pain in this chapter!! Read at your own risk! I also feel I should mention that I made up all of these practices for the sake of angst and the plot, so if there's any inaccuracies, trust me I know.

Hal sat in the hospital waiting room, Barry in a plastic chair beside him with a beige folder clutched in his hands. Shifting a little on his lap, Wally looked up at him.

“We really don't need to be here, please, can we go home?” He whimpered quietly.

Hal sighed, pulling Wally closer to him to keep him from trying to leave. The child had made it very clear as they had left the house and driven to the hospital that he did not want to go, repeating some variation of the ‘can we go home’ question incessantly.

“I’ve answered this question before Wally, no. You need to see a doctor.” He chided, forcing himself to stay soft with his words.

“Please? It doesn’t even hurt that bad! It-”

“Wally.” Hal cut him off, “This isn’t up for a discussion. You are seeing a doctor and that’s final.”

The little boy swallowed hard, moving one hand to hover over his hip as though that would keep him safe. Beside them, Barry worried a corner of the binder, folding it down both ways until there was a heavy crease that looked ready to tear. A nurse in teal scrubs appeared at the hallway entrance, looking over the room.

“Wally West!” She called.

Barry raised his hand to get her attention, getting up to follow her. Hal lifted Wally off his lap to set him on his feet, a hand on his back to guide him where they needed to go when Wally dug his heels in and pulled back a little, shaking his head with defiance . Cursing inwardly, Hal lifted him up and set him on his hip so he could follow his partner and the nurse into a small examination room, setting his nephew on the clean cot in the center and hoping the boy stayed there. For a few minutes, he and Barry just answered the routine questions while they waited for the doctor, Barry opening the file, which contained the court papers proving that they had custody over their nephew until the doctor showed up.

Were it not for the white lab coat and scrubs, Hal wouldn’t have thought that the man was a doctor, he had hair that reminded him of Doc Brown though a little shorter and darker, and he had a keychain with a pink haired troll dangling from his neck. 

“Hello everyone, I’m Doctor Jackson, the head of pediatrics and I’ll be taking care of you today.” He introduced himself, settling in a stool beside the bed near Wally. “What seems to be the problem?”

“He has a pretty nasty cut on his hip, I’m worried that it’s badly infected.” Barry told him.

“I see,” He muttered before turning to address Wally, “Well little fellow, if you’d like to lift up your shirt I can start getting you cleaned up.”

Wally shook his head, giving the doctor a cold look and moving his hand back over his side. The man smiled, producing a green Jolly Rancher from his pocket.

“Are you sure? I’ll give you a sweet after, I just need to get you taken care of.” He bribed, getting another shake of the head.

“No.” Wally said firmly, shifting a few inches away from the doctor and turning to look up at his uncles.

“Do as you’re told.” Hal ordered, crossing his arms over his chest. When the little boy refused for a third time he sighed, sitting down beside him and wrapping one arm around the thrashing child, his free hand lifting his shirt up so the doctor could get a look at his injury. Giving Hal a nod of appreciation, Dr. Jackson leaned forward, frowning when he saw the wound on the little boy. 

“Oh my.” He whispered, noticing that a good portion of it was covered by the boys pants. “May I?” 

“Do what you need to do.” Barry said, watching his husband hold their struggling nephew.

“No!” The little boy wailed, kicking and squirming when he felt himself being undressed, crying when he felt someone fully remove his shirt, leaving him in only his underwear.

Hal tightened his grip on his nephew, trying to keep him still without hurting him while the doctor grimaced at the injury before leaning back, gesturing for Hal and Barry to follow him over to the door.

“You were right to bring him here.” He started, looking the couple over, “The wound is most certainly infected and I believe that he has blood poisoning.”

“So what do we do?” Barry asked, turning to look at the scared child on the bed.

“Well, first things first; I need to clean that injury. After that I’ll need blood work and we can start giving him a run of antibiotics.” Dr. Jackson said.

“That sounds like fun.” Hal said, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

“Oh it will be, and it gets better, I need to see if any tissue has died which means no sedation or anesthetic.”

Hal nodded, quickly moving his hand to hold the door closed, all the adults looking down to see Wally with his hand still on the doorknob.

“Where exactly do you think you’re going to go in your underwear?” Hal asked, getting a shrug in response. “Go sit back down.”

“We might as well get this over with.” Dr. Jackson told them, getting nods from the boys' guardians. 

“Would you be alright to hold him?” He asked Hal.

“Yeah, of course.” He answered, all three heading back over to the child.

Sitting back down on the stool, Dr. Jackson began the process of explaining what was about to happen to Wally, getting a firm denial from him.

“No!” He cried, throwing himself off of the bed, backing himself away from the doctor and firmly into a corner, tears pouring down the side of his face. Hal took a few steps towards him and knelt down, still leaving a sizable gap between himself and his kid.

“I know, I know you don’t want to do this,” He acknowledged, “But it needs to be done and the faster we get started, the faster it will be over.”

Wally shook his head, pressing his back against the wall, sliding down it to sit on the cold tile floor when Hal moved forward, looking between the door and his uncle wondering if there was a way he could get out of the room. He could vaguely hear both of his uncles trying to talk him into going back to the bed, but he ignored them, wiping at the tears running down his face.

“No no no please!” He begged, “I don’t wanna! Please, I just wanna go home!”

Hal stood up, watching Barry creep closer to the boy to try and comfort him, only for Wally to slap at his hand when he tried to reach out for him.

“Wallance Rudolph West!” Hal snapped, watching the boy freeze, “Come here.”

Wally swallowed, looking up at his uncle with tear filled green eyes,still gasping for breath. Hal snapped his fingers and pointed at the floor in front of him.

“Now.” He ordered

Standing up, Wally didn’t take his eyes off the floor as he dragged his feet over to his uncle, shrieking when he was scooped up. Hal sat down on the cot, laying Wally’s upper torso on his lap and grabbing his wrists, holding them up in front of the red heads face to keep them out of the doctor’s way. 

Dr. Jackson sat down on the bed, setting a tray of tools on the stool. Running his gloved fingers over the scab, he noticed that it wasn’t all dried blood, that there was paper mixing in with it.

“Did you put tissues in your injury?” He asked.

“Toilet paper,” Wally corrected in a teary voice, “I was trying to clean it.”

Dr. Jackson nodded, slowly peeling the scab off the cut, the child withering and sobbing while he did so. As soon as the wound was exposed, he started pressing at the edges with an antiseptic wipe, draining the pus. He could hear Wally begging and weeping, occasionally screaming when the doctor really hurt him.

“Stop it! Stop it please, I’m sorry! Please I’m sorry, I’ll be good, just please stop!” Wally screamed, twisting in Hal’s arms. He didn’t bother talking to the boy, he knew he couldn’t hear him, he just meticulously cleaned the injury, he did notice that Barry was looking more and more like he was about to throw up any minute.

“If you need to step out, go ahead.” He offered.

Barry bit his lip, a guilty look prominent on his face as he toyed with the idea of stepping outside. Hal looked up from their nephew and gave him a nod.

“He doesn’t even know we’re here Bar, step out into the hall if you need to.” With a shaky nod, Barry stumbled towards the door, gratefully slipping into the hallway and leaning against the wall, taking deliberate deep breaths to calm his stomach down while he waited for the doctor to be done.

~~~~

Wally wasn’t struggling in Hal’s grip anymore, he just laid there and cried, feeling like his entire side was on fire. Hal slowly adjusted so both of his wrists were in one hand, using his now free one to gently sit the boy up and pull him into his lap.

“There we go, all done.” He whispered.

The doctor opened the door, beckoning Barry back in, the blond rushing over to his family and rubbing Wally’s back while he sobbed. Dr.Jackson approached with a syringe, waiting for the couples attention before explaining the contents. 

“This will put him to sleep.” He told them, waiting for Hal to shift the kid before cleaning his upper arm and inserting the needle into his arm, pushing down on the plunger. Wally started crying harder when the needle first went in, using the last bit of fight he had to try to move away to no avail, as the medicine started to do its job, the sobbing got softer before fading out altogether as he fell asleep.

Hal transferred Wally to Barry’s arms, stretching his own while the doctor disposed of the used syringe. When he was done, he sat back down on the stool.

“He’s going to need to stay the night, we’ll set up an I.V to deliver the antibiotics to his system.” He informed the couple, the same nurse that had brought them into the examination room peeking her head in through the door, being waved in by Dr. Jackson.

The nurse had brought a paper gown, which she dressed the sleeping child in before bringing over a wheelchair.

“If you’d just set him down here, I’ll take him to his room while you two fill out the paperwork.” She offered.

Barry and Hal looked at each other, the blond tightening his grip on their nephew at the thought of leaving him. The nurse smiled, knowing that it was hard to part kids from their worried parents.

“I promise, I will personally come escort you to where he’ll be staying so you can say good night, but I need to get him checked in before you can do that and it’ll be quicker and easier if you fill out the necessary forms while I do.” she comforted. 

Both men nodded slowly, Barry pressing a gentle kiss to the little boy’s forehead before sitting him in the wheelchair and following her to the door, both of them watching her wheel their child away before heading to the nurses station to attend the paperwork. 

The paperwork itself wouldn't have been complicated had they both been on top of their game, but Hal was still reeling with the guilt he felt at holding his screaming nephew down and Barry felt sick with himself for not noticing sooner. Hal felt that the only upside was that Barry had been smart enough to bring the papers with them to prove Wally was theirs, it certainly made it faster when they could prove right away that they had legal right to make medical decisions on his behalf.

By the time the nurse came back, they were just finishing up the paperwork and were desperate to see their nephew. The nurse led them down an intricate maze of hallways before arriving in the pediatrics ICU ward in front of a shadowed doorway.

Hal crept to the bedside like he was walking on eggshells, the only sound being the heart monitor beside his boy. The scene felt all too familiar; Wally was curled up on his side in a sterile bed that dwarfed him, an I.V embedded in his wrist while a combination of brightly coloured wires vanished down the neckline of his gown to connect his chest to the heart monitor, the only source of light in the room. He could hear Barry crying beside him while the blond reached out to run a gentle hand across his face, remembering how he had done something similar when Wally had fallen asleep at the Queens house.

Taking a seat on the edge of the bed, all Hal could do was reflect on how helpless he always felt when someone he loved was hurt. From the needless guilt he felt from not being able to help his dad, watching his mother struggle to raise three boys while their family fell apart, when he hadn’t been able to fully convince Sinestro that he was better than a simple killer, holding Barry in his arms while he wept the first Christmas they had spent after Barry had come out to his family when it had just been the two of them alone in Barry’s small apartment, the first time Wally was in the hospital, and now this. There were times like these that made Hal desperately wish he could possess the ability Bruce did, keeping everyone at arm’s length. Feeling a nudge on his shoulder, he felt Barry rest his head against his neck.

“We need to leave.” He whispered, his tears leaving dark spots on Hal’s shirt.

“I know.” 

“The nurse says we can come back and visit him tomorrow.” 

“Okay.” Hal responded, standing up and walking out of the room with his arm over Barry’s shoulder, feeling like a piece of him was being left behind.

~~~~

Hal opened the front door with far more force than he needed to but he just couldn’t bring himself to care. He knew he couldn’t stay long, he felt like he was bursting at the seams with frustration and anger and if he didn’t find a way to let some of the pressure go, he would say something he could never take back.

“Hal!” Barry choked, fighting to get his jacket off, “Hal please, you’re doing the thing where you get really quiet and you don’t talk, but we need to talk about this and you’re scaring me Hal!”

Taking a deep breath, Hal turned to face his partner, noticing the reason he was having trouble with his coat because he was shaking so hard he couldn’t get a grip on anything without vibrating through it. Gently, Hal unzipped the jacket and helped the other man shrug it off before throwing it over the banister and enveloping Barry in a hug

“I know, I know we need to talk and we will. But I can’t right now Bear.” He whispered, caressing his lovers hair and pulling back to touch their foreheads together. “I just need to blow off some steam baby, and then I promise that we can talk, I just need to blow off some steam.”

Barry hugged him tighter, trying to force himself to stay out of relative time, to keep himself steady enough to hold everything together. Hal traced his cheek, kissing him softly on the lips, moving up to kiss the tip of his nose and then his closed eyes, one after another.

“I promise, I’ll come back, I will always come back for you Straw-Barry, you and our boy.” He promised, wiping away Barry’s tears with his thumb and feeling him tremble, “But we both need to blow off some steam before we can have this conversation properly.”

Barry nodded, pulling away from Hal as he found the shoes Bruce had made him that wouldn’t melt from the heat of the Speedforce, getting them on with some difficulty.

“Okay.” He said in a shaky voice, both of them heading back out the door. “I’m gonna head to the mountain, run until I can’t anymore.”

“I’m gonna go break up some comets by Jupitar.” Hal replied, “I’ll keep my communicator in if you need me.”

Activating his ring, Hal rose above the roofs, watching Barry dart away towards Mt. Justice before heading to the asteroid belt.

~~~~

Hal snarled aloud as he decimated another meteorite, it’s remaining dust joining the cloud of debris leftover from his rage-induced prejudice against space rocks. He had been up by the Red-Eye planet for almost an hour and he wasn’t any closer to getting himself back on track, his comm had been mercifully silent, though he figured a part of that was Bats already knowing what was happening and keeping him on radio silence. He knew it for certain when he saw Clark flying over to him with an expression of pity on his face.

“Supey.” He greeted, smashing another asteroid with a sledgehammer construct.

“Hal.” The man of steel returned, “Working through some stuff?”

“If you’re up here, I’m assuming that you already know exactly what I’m working through.” He snapped, turning to another cluster of comets.

“All I know is Wally’s back in the hospital.” Clark admitted, watching Earth’s Green Lantern obliterate more comets. “Hal, why don’t you come back to the cave. We have perfectly functional punching bags if you need to let some anger out.”

“I don’t know,” Hal panted, pausing to actually look at his friend, “I’m getting a ton of relief with these space rocks.”

“And I get that, I do. But Buddy, you’re really starting to screw up the solar system.” Clark said.

Hal looked around, taking in the destruction he’d left in the wake of his anger and nodded, following Clark back to the mountain in silence. 

When the pair touched down in the front hallway, Hal immediately started off towards the gym. He had been promised punching bags and he still really needed to hit some stuff. Clark followed wordlessly, taking up a place behind the bag to keep it still while Hal started laying into it, the only sound being the smack of bare skin on polyester and laboured breathing. 

The other league members passed through, though none of them spoke. Some, like Diana and Aurther, gave him a pat on the back or shoulder, while the others just threw looks of sympathy his way. The only person who spoke was Oliver and it wasn’t to Hal, instead walking right over to Clark and nudging him over to anchor the bag.

“My turn.” He ordered, bracing himself against the floor seamlessly while Hal swung another punch at the bag.

Hal was grateful for his presence, if only because Ollie knew him, how he needed to cope with his emotions, how he was feeling without saying it, and exactly how much give to allow the bag. The blond didn’t speak, didn’t comment when Hal’s knuckles were split and dripping blood down his fingers or when he started crying, he just waited until Hal stopped hitting.

“We could lose Wally,” He rasped, leaning his head against the red stained punching bag. “They could take Wally away from us for this.”

“I know.” Oliver whispered, pulling his brother into a hug.

“And even if they don’t, he’s never going to trust us again. Especially not me, everything we built these last few months is gone, he will never let us get near him again because of this.” Hal choked, letting Ollie lead him over to a bench and sitting down on it, one hand massaging his tired eyes while Ollie cleaned and bandaged his other one.

“You earned his trust before, you can earn it again.”

Hal laughed, the sound feeling bitter and dry in his throat as he dropped his hand to look Oliver in the eye.

“I held him down while he screamed, Oliver, he begged me to let him up and I didn’t! By the end he was just crying over and over that he’d behave, he thought he was being punished for something!”

“Then set the record straight! He’s not stupid Hal he’s just young, if you explain to him why you had to do what you did and apologize then he’ll understand, he’s a smart kid. And yes, he might be a little nervous of you for a little bit, but that means you need to step up as a parent and be there for him to remind him that you have his back and that you love him!” Ollie lectured, sitting on the bench beside his best friend.

“God, I don’t even know if I should BE a parent anymore.” Hal confided in a whisper.

“You don’t mean that.” Ollie said.

“I think I do,” He whispered, all his inadequacies flooding to the forefront of his mind, “I mean I’m clearly bad at it, or my kid wouldn’t be in the hospital right now.”

“Oh that’s an absolute bag of horseshit!” Ollie snapped, “You aren’t a bad parent because Wally’s hurt, you aren’t a bad parent because you made a hard choice. News flash idiot; that’s what parenting is! You and Barry are incharge of making decisions on his behalf because Wally is too young to make them himself!

“And it’s difficult, it’s always going to be difficult to make those choices and he is always going to hate them. But making a sound medical decision he doesn’t like does not make you a bad parent, it just makes you a parent! And you know how I know you aren’t a bad parent? Because bad parents don’t go around taking out the guilt they feel over having to make these hard choices on comets!”

Ollie was out of breath as he finished and he had no doubt that every other member of the league had heard his rant but he didn’t care.

“Do you know how else I know you aren’t a bad parent?” He asked, deliberately keeping his voice down.

“How?” Hal asked, playing along with the question.

“Because a bad parent would not have taken in a kid that had no relation to him whatsoever and called him ‘his’. Wally has no relation to you, if he wasn’t Barry’s adopted sister's nephew you wouldn’t even know he exists. You could have just as easily let him room in your house as an extended guest until he turns eighteen and be done with it, but you didn’t. You were given a damaged child and you were willing to work to build his trust and you have been patient in letting him heal.

“You dropped everything when Barry got the call that his nephew was in the hospital, and then when you got there, you jumped through hoops to make sure that Wally was able to come home with you, you worked to weather the financial and emotional burden so that Barry can stay home with him for awhile, and you’re willing to call me and ask if I can bring my family to Nebraska, of all places, so that he isn’t alone when he has to testify against his own dad. I’d say that makes you a pretty good fucking parent.” He said, trying successfully to get a laugh out of his friend with the last one.

“How did you know about that?” Hal asked, wiping tears off his face with wrapped hands.

“Barry told me, you should go talk to him by the way.” Ollie told him.

“Yeah, I should.” Hal admitted, slowly hauling himself to his feet, Oliver getting up beside him. “Thanks for the talk man.”

Ollie pulled him in for another hug, slapping his back.

“Any time Brother, any time.” Oliver said, watching his best friend head towards his and his husbands shared quarters.

~~~~

Hal found Barry on their bed with his phone in his hands, the device was turned off but Hal suspected that the Scarlet Speedster needed to make a difficult call or had just finished one. The man in question looked up as he entered, an expression of relief breaking out on his face when he saw who it was, Hal barely had time to shut the door behind him before he had an armful of Speedster.

“Hey,” He whispered, burying his face in Barry’s hair, “Sorry I left.”

“It’s alright, you were right; I needed to go for a run.” He admitted.

There wasn’t a table in their quarters so they sat on the bed, both hero’s bracing themselves for a trying conversation.

“So,” Barry began awkwardly, “It’s been a shitty day.”

“No kidding. Fuck, can you believe it’s only Wensday?” Hal laughed, squeezing Barry’s hand. “Where do you want to start?”

“Let's start at the beginning of the madness; Mary wants custody, how do we want to deal with that?” Barry asked, already pissed and the woman. Hal leaned back, taking a deep breath.

“Honestly, if we have to answer before a judge, I would tell them that I want her to have to earn it. I want her in therapy and rehab and serving her sentence before she’s even allowed to make contact with Wally, and I will tell any government official that seeing as how you and I had to pick up the pieces the last time she hurt him, then she can see him on our terms.” Hal said.

“Okay, I agree.” Barry said, eager to move on, “What are your thoughts on adoption?”

Barry already knew his thoughts on it, had from the moment he had even been given the chance to have Wally back in his life. But he also knew that Hal didn’t have the same ties he did and he didn’t want to force anything on him. He still cheered internally when Hal swept him into a hug.

“I think it’s a great idea.” He said, kissing the side of Barry’s head three times, feeling the blond curl into him.

Pulling back, Hal used his thumb to brush away Barry’s tears before pulling him in for a proper kiss. In his mind he knew he was playing the avoidance game, but he didn’t care, let them celebrate the idea of Wally legally being theirs for a few moments longer until the reality of the rest of the day caught up to them. When Barry finally broke away from the kiss, Hal knew he’d had the same thoughts.

“How are we going to fix this mess?” Hal asked before Barry could bring it up.

“I don’t know,” He rasped, bottom lip trembling, “I honestly don’t know.”

“Well how did we fix it the first time?” Hal asked, trying to remember how they had gotten Wally to trust them, but it had happened so slowly it was hard to tell.

“With a bunch of hard work and everyone involved walking on eggshells, but I don’t know if that’s going to work this time Hal. We weren’t the ones who hurt him the first time, now we’re the ones who made him suffer!” Barry sobbed, quickly running his hand over his face to dry it off.

“But we didn’t, that injury is one his father gave him that got infected, we just took him to the doctor when we noticed. He’ll notice that it’ll start to feel better when the medicine starts working.” Hal reasoned.

“He didn’t look better when we had to clean it.” Barry pointed out, his voice still weak and shaking and Hal grimaced at the recent memory.

“And I’ll apologize as soon as I see him next, I swear. Look, he was trying to clean it himself with bathroom paper, he must have known that the doctor needed to clean it if he was trying to do it himself.”

When Hal saw that Barry wasn't completely convinced he sighed.

“I’m not saying that he isn’t upset with me, he has every right to be, but he’s a smart kid, we can talk to him and let him know that we’re trying to do what's best for him. And I’m sure he’ll forgive us eventually, he’s pretty attached to you, you’re the one he curls up with when he crawls in with us at night.”

“In light of new information, I think that’s just because he can’t lay on his other side.” Barry said, closing his eyes and turning to face the door, moving his hands while he mentally mapped out an image in his head before opening his eyes again, “Yeah, laying so he’s facing me just puts him on the side without an infected wound.”

“Yeah maybe, but it didn’t make him cuddle against you.” Hal said, “Straw-Barry, trust me, he really likes you.”

“I’m sure he likes you too!” Barry said.

“I’m sure he’s starting to, but you make him most of his meals, and you read Harry Potter with him, and you were there when he was born.” Hal reasoned, making Barry laugh.

“I thought you’d’ve forgotten about that,” He giggled.

“How could I forget? You skipped our third date because he was being born.” Hal laughed, reminiscing on the early days when he and Barry had started dating, back when the league had only been a thing for a number of months. Now, he couldn’t even imagine not having his closest friends to count on.

“I feel like I’ve apologized for this already.” Barry reminded him.

“And I’ve reminded you that you don’t need to be sorry, I just think it’s funny.” Hal snickered.

Barry hummed, cuddling into Hal’s side and closing his eyes, feeling and arm around his shoulder.

“Can we stay here tonight? I don’t feel like running home.” Barry asked, feeling his lover press kisses into his messy hair.

“Yeah, anything you want.” Hal told him in between kisses, “But we should change into pajamas.”

When Barry nodded, Hal removed his arm, giving the smaller man space to get up, both of them grabbing the pair of pajamas they kept at the cave, stripping out of their sweat drenched clothes into clean pajamas.

“We should shower.” Barry said, with no real drive behind his voice.

“No.” Hal denied, tying up the waistband of his sweatpants, “I’m tired, we can do it in the morning.”

Barry shrugged, using his speed to quickly brush his teeth before dating past Hal to crawl into his space on their bed, the side closest to the wall. As their bed in the cave was in the corner, it meant that he couldn’t plug his phone in on his side, so he passed it to Hal as he was plugging in his own phone after he returned from the bathroom. The Green Lantern crawled in beside his husband, using his ring to turn off the lights, blanketing them in darkness. Reaching over to Barry’s side of the bed, Hal wrapped his arms around his waist and pulled him close, resting the blond’s head on his chest and placing a hand on his back, feeling the accelerated heartbeat and kissing the top of his head again.

“I love you.” He whispered, feeling Barry snuggle closer.

“I love you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for reading and sorry for the long chapter. I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy during this awful times, as always, I love hearing from you guys and I love you all.


	16. The Paitent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first day in the hospital finds Barry and Hal struggling to rebuild burnt bridges.

Barry methodically adjusted his jacket while he waited for nine thirty to roll around, checking his phone out of habit and boredom to see if he had any texts even though he knew he didn’t. He only had a few minutes to go until visiting hours commenced and he was waiting a few feet away from the entrance to the hospital. He was both dreading the day and waiting for it with bated breath; on one hand, he wasn’t sure how Wally would be feeling and if he would even be awake, which might make him grumpy. On the other hand, he had spent the majority of the previous night and the entirety of that morning feeling like his chest was about to break open, as though his ribs had broken and punctured his heart and lungs, and he knew it was because he was worried about his nephew and he would do anything to make that heavy feeling in his chest stop. 

At nine twenty eight, Barry decided he might as well go and get himself checked in, the receptionist was unlikely to turn him away for being two minutes early and the hospital was big enough that it would take him a few minutes to even get to the ward Wally was in. Plastering a friendly smile on his face, Barry headed over to the reception desk.

“Hello! Is this where I check in to visit someone?” He asked.

“Sure is,” The receptionist replied, “What’s the patient’s name?”

“Wallance West.” Barry answered, watching her type something into her keyboard.

“Alright, and what’s your relation to him?” She asked.

“I’m his legal guardian.” He told her, getting a nod and a visitor’s pass.

“Okay! Our visiting hours end at seven P.M so you have plenty of time. Just follow the signs on the wall and if you need help finding something, don’t hesitate to ask.” She chirped cheerfully, waving towards the hallway. 

Tossing a ‘thank you’ over his shoulder, Barry turned down the corridor and set a brisk pace, following the signs and memory to find the room he was looking for, peeking inside to make sure he had the right room, seeing a still bundle of red hair on a starch white pillow.

“Are you his Dad?” 

Barry jumped, spinning to face a nurse holding a clipboard with her hands up in a calming motion.

“Sorry! Didn’t mean to scare you, are you his Dad?” She asked again.

“I’m ah, I’m his legal guardian but I’m not his father.” Barry answered, awkwardly putting his hands in his pockets and rocking on the balls of his feet while the nurse checked the paper on the clipboard.

“Hal Jordan?” She checked.

“No! No that’s my husband, I’m Barry Allen.” He corrected, making her nod.

“Alright, the doctor wants to speak with you for a moment, this way please.” She told him, leading him to a small conference room down the hall, briefly pausing once there to send a text, presumably to the doctor.

After a few minutes of waiting, a tall man in a white lab coat with brown hair swept into the room, taking a seat across from him and placing a folder on the table between them.

“Good morning Mr. Allen, I’m Dr. Curtis, I’ll be over seeing you wards care, how are you today?” He greeted.

“I’m as well as I can be.” Barry replied with a strained smile.

“That’s good to hear. I was hoping to go over our treatment plan with you before you see him, it shouldn’t take more than a few minutes.” He said, opening the file. “Your ward has a laceration on his right hip that’s deeply infected and the infection has spread to his blood, fortunately, the tissue hasn’t started to die so we should be able to have it treated fairly quickly. We have an I.V drip delivering antibodies into his system to fight off the infection.”

“Thank you.” Barry said, at a loss for anything else to say.

“I’m afraid that isn’t all. When he was brought into the hospital, he weighed in at around thirty pounds, making his twenty pounds underweight. Hospital policy states that when a patient is that undernourished that a nasogastric tube be placed to encourage weight gain.” Dr. Curtis said.

Barry took a shaky breath, running his hand through his hair while biting back tears. 

“Oh, my god.” He rasped, seeing the looks that the doctor and nurse shared and knew that they thought he was hurting Wally.

“I know, I know what you’re thinking but I swear to you that I would never do anything to hurt Wally, ever! And neither would my husband!” He promised in a rush, “We took him in after it was found out that his father was beating him, he spent a while in the hospital because of it. We only took him home a few months ago and he’s been really stressed out, he’s only just started talking to us and he never has an appetite! We’ve been discussing getting him therapy to help him. We didn’t even know that the cut on his hip had opened up until last night and we brought him here as soon as we did.”

Dr. Curtis nodded slowly, humouring the other man more than anything. Rifling through the papers in the folder on the table in front of him, he spared a glance at Barry.

“You aren’t directly related to him, are you?” He asked.

“No, I’m not. I was adopted into his father’s family when I was a child after my mother died, I was raised by his grandfather alongside his aunt and his dad.” Barry said, his voice thick with tears. Dr. Curtis nodded, glancing at the nurse beside him while Barry continued.

“My adopted sister was the first choice to take him, but she’s a journalist who doesn’t have set hours and travels a lot. We all sat down and discussed it, and agreed that she wouldn’t be a reliable guardian. My husband and I, on the other hand, have fairly regular hours and income, we live fifteen minutes away from a school, and we felt that we could provide a safe, secure life for Wally. We haven’t been perfect, and I would never pretend that we have been, but we love him and we’ve been trying our best to help him.”

“Alright,” Dr. Curtis said, nodding again while looking at his file. “I can tell that you do care for him, but I’m afraid that when we have to follow hospital policy, and our policy states that when we have cases like these, we have to alert Child Protective Services.”

Barry nodded, inhaling a shaky breath and massaging his eyes hard, trying to keep himself composed.

“Okay,” He choked, sinking down in his chair, “Okay. I get it, have to uhh, have to make sure the kids are safe.”

Dr Curtis’s eyes widened in surprise of his response. Clearly, he hadn’t been expecting a calm, understanding reply.

“Yes well, we always have to take care of our patients' well-being.” He affirmed, closing the file and standing up. “If you’ll excuse me, Mr. Allen, I have to go back to work.”

“Wait!” Barry begged, making the doctor pause in his steps. “Can I see him? Please?”

Dr. Curtis thought it over, tilting his head left and right before nodding.

“I see no reason why not.” He conceded, halfway out the door.. “Good day, Mr. Allen.”

As soon as he was gone, Barry buried his head in his hands, feeling tears pools in his palms. Wiping furiously at the tears drenching his cheeks while he struggled to compose himself, the nurse crossed to the seat beside him, handing him a travel packet of tissues and rubbing his back sympathetically.

“I know Honey, it’s never easy when your kids hurting.” She soothed.

“Ha. No kidding.” Barry laughed, bitterly.

“It’s gonna be alright Hun, I’ve seen some horrible people walk away with custody of their kids, I’m sure they’ll see that you’re a good dad.” The nurse comforted while he wiped his eyes. “Now, why don’t you take a few minutes to compose yourself and then I can take you to go see your boy.”

“Yeah,” Barry sobbed, blinking furiously to stop any more tears from falling. “Yeah that sounds great.”

With a smile, the nurse settled into the seat beside him to wait, letting the blond man cry without judgement. Finally pulling himself together, Barry took a shuddering breath and squared his shoulders, wiping his hands across his cheeks to clear away any left over tears he may have missed.

“May I please see my nephew now?”

~~~~~

Just before Barry could turn into his nephew’s room, the nurse who had been with him in the conference room was stopped by a colleague. At first, Barry tried to block her out and just head over to Wally, but then he felt a hand on his upper arm. When he turned to look, he saw the nurse he hadn’t met before, looking like she had something to say.

“Sorry. I’m the nurse that was on duty last night, I helped him out when he woke up in the middle of the night.” She started, already capturing Barry’s full attention. “The sedative wore off around one in the morning, he woke up confused and started crying and suffered a mild anxiety attack, he kept trying to pull out his I.V drip. We got him calmed down but he didn’t get much rest and he’s been in a bit of a bad mood this morning.”

“Oh dear. I’m sorry if he’s been difficult.” He apologized

“No no, it’s fine, it happens all the time with the kids. He does have a nasogastric tube in, and that might make his breathing sound weird, but that’s all normal and we’re keeping an eye on him.” The nurse said.

“Alright, thanks for the heads up.” Barry thanked her, “May I go in?”

“Oh yeah!”

“Of Course, go ahead.”

The nurses replied, tripping over each other to affirm his welcome, one playfully giving him a shove into the doorway, causing him to stumble forward with a laugh, only for the smile to ebb off his face when he saw the room before him.

The room itself was dark, there wasn’t a window as the pediatrics ICU ward was in the middle of the hospital. The bed was small, with starched white sheets, now wrinkled because of the child in it, there was an I.V bag on the left side of the bed with a tube running down into the bed. Additionally, there were two chairs against the wall, one of which Barry grabbed and carried over to the bedside, putting it down beside the bed.

Before he sat down, Barry checked over the child in the bed. Wally was pale, more than he usually was, making the freckles decorating his skin stand out even more. He was curled on his left side with his eyes closed, his hands a few inches in front of his face. The only colour on him made Barry feel worse, he had bruises on his wrists, which Barry knew were from Hal restraining him the previous night, as well as red tracks on his cheeks from crying.

Sitting down, Barry reached out and gently slipped his hand around Wally’s, jumping in surprise when it was sharply jerked out of his hold. Wally pulled his hands into his chest, protectively curling tighter around them while his green eyes snapped open to glower at him. Barry put on a warm smile, trying to calm the boy down.

“I’m sorry sweetheart, I didn’t realize you were awake.” He said in a quiet, sugary tone.

Wally didn’t respond to him, just staring at him with distrust in his eyes. Mentally regrouping, Barry tried a different approach.

“Are you feeling better?” He asked.

No response once again, Wally didn’t even acknowledge that he had spoken or asked a question, he just continued to stare at him.

“I umm, I heard that you had a really nasty wake up earlier.” Barry started. “Did you want to talk about it?”

Once more, Wally didn’t respond. He closed his eyes and curled up tighter around himself. Knowing when he was beat, Barry sighed and nodded, leaning back against the plastic chair, not pushing the conversation further. Taking the silence as a moment to think, Barry considered how he and Hal were going to handle this.

The most pressing matter was the issue of the status of their custody over Wally, the unfortunate fact was that their family was largely frowned upon by the state officials and they had had the deck stacked against them when the issue of where Wally was going to live had first come up. Now that Wally was back in the hospital, it was going to take a miracle to keep it. 

The next problem was Wally’s trust in them. It was very clear that he was upset with them, and he had every right to be, in Barry’s opinion. Last night had been hard on all of them without question but it had been hardest on the little boy, he had been outspoken about not wanting to be at the hospital and had been ignored, having his injury cleaned had been horrific to watch and must have been even worse to experience, and he had woken up alone in a space he didn’t recognize. It would take a lot to rebuild what they had and it was possible that it wouldn’t ever be the same as it had been.

And looking at the purple bruises embedded on Wally’s wrists, the final problem slapped Barry in the face. Hal was coming to the hospital when he got off work, and he was going to tear himself apart when he saw those bruises. Barry knew that Hal struggled with forgiving himself, had since before Barry had met him and it had been one of the toughest hurdles they had cleared in their relationship. But Hal would surely withdraw when faced with the idea that he hurt someone he loved and Barry wasn’t sure how they were going to work through that with everything else they had coming at them.

Taking a calming breath, Barry settled in to wait, taking out his phone and shooting Iris a text. He had informed both her and Joe about the day before, from how he and Iris were named as potential witnesses by Rudy’s lawyer to the blood poisoning that now required treatment. Joe hadn't been too surprised by the lawyers tactic, having worked closely with prosecutors throughout his career, he understood that it was an imitation strategy that was uncomfortably effective. Both he and Iris had been saddened and scared to hear about Wally’s blood poisoning, both of them immediately asking when they could visit him. Barry had asked that they wait for both himself and Hal to see him, which they had been understanding about, though that didn’t mean that they had completely gone silent, both had texted him for updates and information which was what he was texting Iris now, informing her about the tubes and the CPS dilemma before settling in to wait.

~~~~~~

Hal hurried to the entrance of the hospital, shooting off a text to Barry, telling him he was there. It didn’t take him long to check in and collect his visitors' pass, standing off to the side to wait for Barry to lead him to Wally’s room. It didn’t take long for his husband to arrive looking frazzled, his hair had a tousled look, as though he had run his hand through it numerous times throughout the day. As soon as Barry saw him, he rushed into his arms squeezing his torso so hard it forced Hal to let out any air in his lungs, though that didn’t stop him from returning the embrace.

“Long day?” He asked, getting a snarky laugh.

“That’s one way to put it.” Barry laughed.

“What’s going on?” Hal inquired, pulling them closer to the wall to keep them out of the way of other people.

“He definitely has blood poisoning, he’s unnervingly underweight so they inserted a nasogastric tube, they had to alert Child Protective Services so that should be fun.” 

Barry paused, licking his lips while searching for a way to soften the blow before just biting the bullet.

“He has bruises on his wrists…” 

Barry felt Hal stiffen in his arms as the significance of what he had just said sunk in.

“From me, from last night.” He whispered, swallowing hard.

“Yeah.” Barry rasped, lifting his hand to cup Hal’s cheek to comfort him. Hal nodded, taking a deep breath and giving Barry a smile.

“Alright. Well, we knew this was going to be crappy and difficult, let’s go up to see him so I can apologize and we can start making it better.” Hal suggested, breaking the embrace shortly to push off the wall and wrap and arm around Barry’s shoulder, urging them down the hall.

When they got to the elevator, Barry pushed the ‘up’ button and both of them waited in silence until the carriage doors opened. It wasn’t until they were alone in the lift that Barry spoke again.

“I have to warn you; he is in a sour mood.” Barry warned.

“Is he?” Hal asked.

“Oh yeah.” Barry groaned with a nod. “He hasn’t said a word to me all day and he pulled away so fast when I tried to hold his hand, I thought I had burned him.”

Hal went quiet, moving his head vaguely in time with his private thoughts, not responding until the elevator dinged and opened the door to the floor they wanted.

“I guess it’s not really too surprising, we both figured that there would be some lost trust. It only makes sense that he’s not crazy about us touching him. Going back to not talking is a little concerning, but I’m sure that so long as we don’t push too hard and let him cool off that he’ll open back up.” 

“Alright, just thought I’d give you a heads up.” Barry told him.

The blond guided Hal down the wideset hallways until they got to the Children’s ICU ward, leading them right to Wally’s room and stepping to the side to let Hal go in first. Wally was the same as he had been all day; eyes closed, curled on his side with his arms in front of his face. It took all the training Hal had to not audible gasp at the sight, for as long as he had known him, Wally had been fairly subdued but now he just looked defeated, as though he had completely given up. 

“Hey Kiddo,” Barry cooed, slipping past Hal and into the plastic chair beside the bed. “Hal’s here, he’s been pretty worried about you.”

Looking up at his husband, Barry tilted his head towards the second chair still against the wall.

“Wanna grab a seat?”

“Sure.” Hal breathed, dragging his chair to rest beside Barrys and sitting down.

No one spoke. True to what Barry had said, Wally hadn’t replied to him, or even acknowledged that they were there with him. Hal himself couldn’t blame him, his undivided attention was on the bruises encircling Wally’s forearms, dark stains on otherwise pale skin. 

After a while, Barry slipped his own hand into Hals to get his attention, leaning close so he could be heard while speaking quietly.

“I’m going to get a drink, do you need anything?” He asked, already standing up.

“Could you grab me a Gatorade?”

“Blue?”

“Please.”

“Sure thing.” Barry replied, kissing Hal on the cheek and then leaving the room, leaving Hal and Wally in awkward silence.

Hal decided to throw himself right in, scooting his chair forward until he was able to rest his elbows on the mattress, crossing his arms and resting his head on them, putting himself at Wally’s level.

“Hey Squirt, hear ya had a rough day.” He started, looking for an absent response from the boy.

“I ahh, I know that some of that is because of me. I know that last night was really hard and really scary, and I know that a big part of why it was scary was because I couldn’t respect your boundaries and your space and I’m really sorry about that.” The pilot apologized.

Wally still refused to respond, acting as though he hadn’t spoken at all. Hal lifted his head a little, wondering if he was asleep. Reaching out, Hal brushed his fingers over his nephews upper arm, just below the hem of his sleeve. Hal heard a sharp gasp from the child, his green eyes snapping open instantly while he pushed himself backwards to break the barely-there contact between them, his I.V drip tube being pulled taught as he backed away.  
Hal himself sat up quickly, withdrawing his hand and raising them both beside his head, trying to give Wally space.

“Sorry! Sorry!” He placated, “I didn’t know if you were awake.”

Wally kept his mouth closed and his eyes opened, keeping his gaze on Hal until Barry came back, pressing a cold bottle into his hands. When he gave Hal a hopeful look, it nearly broke his heart to only be able to give him a shake of the head, though not nearly as bad as it broke when his kid pulled away from him.

~~~~~

Around six in the evening, Dr. Curtis came into Wally’s room, flanked by a tall, Latina nurse carrying a clipboard under her arm and a bottle and a syringe in a sterile packet in her hands. Dr. Curtis was also carrying a bottle, as well as wipes and fresh bandages.

“Good evening everyone, sorry to interrupt but we just need to clean up Wally’s hip and then we’ll be out of your hair.” The doctor announced.

Wally’s eyes opened as he sat up quickly, shaking his head and covering his injured side with both hands.

“No!” he said firmly, scrambling back towards the headrest of the bed, desperate to put more space between himself and the doctor.

“Shh shh shh, relax!” The doctor comforted while the nurse removed the needle from it’s packaging and started filling it with medicine from the bottle. “My friend here is going to give you a shot of Ketamine. It’s put you to sleep and you won’t feel a thing.”

Wally continued to refuse, his whole body shuddering while tears threatened to spill down his cheeks.

“No no no! Don’t touch me!” He cried, watching the nurse with fearful eyes, barely noticing when Barry sat on the bedside to try to comfort him.

“She’s just going to feed it through the line of your I.V Love, you won’t even need a shot.” Barry reasoned while the teal clad nurse pushed the insert of the needle into the drip chamber, squeezing down the plunger slowly.

The little boy panicked, moving his right hand to his left wrist where the I.V was embedded in his vein, gripping it and giving it a harsh yank, the needle thankfully staying in.

“Hey! Don’t do that!” Barry scolded, grabbing his child’s hand and forcing it away from the I.V. “That needs to stay in, you don’t ever touch it!”

“No! Lemme alone, don’t touch, don’t touch me!” Wally sobbed, his words starting to slur as the medicine took effect.

Barry tugged him close, holding his hand and embracing him in a gentle hug, trying to calm him down while he fought the pull of the drugs.

“I don’t want… I don want… touching me… Please.” He whimpered, his head starting to droop forwards. “Stop, please.”

Barry dropped his wrist, using both hands to sweetly lower the sleeping child back into a reclined position. Wally was asleep before he was fully laying down, his eyes once again closed. Dr. Curtis waited for Barry to be off the bed before lifting the bottom of the paper gown up, exposing the bandages covering his wound and swiftly peeling them off and disposing of them.

From there, the process was much the same as it had been the previous night, though much quieter and efficient. It didn’t take Dr. Curtis long to clean the infected cut to his satisfaction and cover it with new bandages. While he was throwing away the dirty bandages and removing his gloves, he talked briefly with the couple.

“That Ketamine will keep him out for a few hours. Our visiting hours end at seven, your welcome to stay until then but don’t expect him to wake up.” He told them, bidding them a good night and leaving to attend other patients.

Barry and Hal stayed a while longer, most of it spent talking to their sleeping kid. Before they left, Hal tucked him in with a kiss on the forehead and a whispered ‘I love you’ quickly followed by Barry. The two left hand in hand, leaving Wally to sleep off his drugs in peace.

~~~~~

Wally woke up alone in a dark room, his left wrist was aching and his side throbbed. He quickly found the empty chairs his uncles had been sitting in earlier, how much earlier, he had no idea. Something wet hit his hand, only realizing it was a tear when he touched his face to find it drenched with them. Curling back up, Wally started to sob, forcefully shoving his fist into his mouth to keep himself quiet. After what felt like hours of chest racking crying, he had cried himself dry, left with nothing else to do but wait for morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the radio silence, I got scheduled at work a lot as well as had a lot of school work to deal with. I hope you like the new chapter. Regarding current horrific events, I would just like to let everyone know where this author stands. My support is and always will be with the Black Lives Matter movement, I encourage everyone to stand with them as they fight for justice for George Floyd and everyone else who has suffered at the hands of the people who are supposed to protect and serve them.  
> I would urge everyone to donate if you can to the foundations assisting the protesters. Stay save everyone.


	17. Social Services

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hal and Barry meet with the social workers assigned to their case.

Friday evening found Barry and Hal in a conference room of the hospital, waiting on the Social Worker to make an appearance. The two men were holding hands, each trying to reassure the other and to stay united while having a difficult discussion. They hadn’t been waiting very long, the doctor had just finished cleaning Wally’s hip when they had made their way to the conference room for their meeting with the social workers.

The day had gone very similarly as the previous one had, Wally still not speaking or acknowledging their presence unless they tried to touch him. He had still adamantly refused to cooperate when the doctor had arrived to clean his injury, revisiting his strategy of trying to pull out his I.V, which had only succeeded in postponing the Ketamine shot to be given a stern lecture by his guardians and the doctor. After that fiasco, the two had been informed that the social worker in charge of their case was hoping to meet with them.

The handle on the door moved, the door opening to reveal two older women with I.D around their necks. One was dressed in a corduroy skirt and a pink blouse, her lips pursed like she had just sucked on a particularly sour lemon. The other was heavyset and grandmotherly, with gray speckled brown hair in a high bun on her head. The two women took seats across from the couple, the woman in the pink blouse looking at them like they were garbage on the street.

“Hello, I’m Andrea Snider and this is my coworker Angnus Thorne. We will be reviewing your case this evening.” The severe woman in the pink blouse informed them, placing a folder on the table.

Hal squeezed Barry’s hand hard under the table, while he was sure part of it was his own nerves, this already had the element of agony.

“We are here to discuss the custody of Wallance West, an eight year old male whom was admitted to the hospital late Wednesday night with an infected injury on his hip as well as signs of extreme undernourishment.” Mrs. Snider announced, “Am I missing anything?”

Barry and Hal exchanged a quick look before turning back to their interrogators.

“No, that pretty much sums it up.” Barry admitted quietly while Hal reluctantly nodded beside him.

Mrs. Snider huffed out a laugh, rolling her eyes at Barry’s response.

“Figures.” She muttered, looking at her partner. “Anything else we need?”

Mrs. Thorne gave her a stern look, pursing her lips in displeasure.

“You know what else we need.” She chastised, looking at the two men in front of her.

“Would you be able to explain how young mister West got into this situation?” She asked them.

Barry and Hal exchanged another look before Barry raised his hand and started talking.

“We got custody of our nephew after his father lost it because he was abusing Wally. When we brought him home he had so many injuries, including the one on his hip, that we had to clean and keep an eye on. He was on a lot of painkillers at the time that made him sleepy and was pretty much always asleep so we could check them without him fussing too much.

That lasted for a few weeks before the doctor we were taking him too gave us the all clear to wean him off the painkillers because his body had healed enough that it shouldn't've left open wounds for long. 

  
Unfortunately, he was and still is incredibly skittish and doesn’t trust anyone, he didn’t let Hal or I touch him for almost a month after he properly woke up which meant that we couldn’t check to see if any of his cuts had opened back up.

As for the malnourishment, he never has an appetite! We’ve put food on his plate and he’ll eat a few bites but never more. It’s been getting better these last few days but he came to us more than half starved and we were worried that if we forced him to eat we could be doing more harm than good.” 

Barry finished the story with tears in his eyes, quickly wiping them away with the fleshy part of his palm. Mrs. Thorne looked sympathetic, giving them a small smile, Mrs. Snider just huffed again and folded her hands on the table while looking unconvinced.

“And how did you two get custody? The boy hasn’t got any closer relatives?” Mrs. Snider sneered.

“His maternal grandparents are in an assisted living facility, his paternal grandmother hasn’t been heard from since his parents were in elementary school, and his other grandfather is on a fixed income that wouldn’t support a child. His mother’s an only child and his paternal aunt is a journalist who frequently travels, lives in a studio apartment, and doesn’t make a whole lot of money.” Hal informed her, getting a little sick of her rude tone. “Barry and I, for the most part, have set hours and income, a house that’s a fifteen minute walk from the school he’ll be attending in the new year, a house that also has a backyard for him to play in as well as a nice room for him so he has a nice quiet space that’s all his. We were the obvious choice to be his caretakers.”

It was probably a bad idea to get mouthy with the women who would ultimately be deciding whether they would get to keep the little boy they loved so much, but Hal was getting fed up with being looked at like he was an idiot.

“Of course, of course.” Mrs. Snider acknowledged, looking between the two men like the cat that got the canary. “And I completely understand that having a child so suddenly can be a huge responsibility, one that can put quite the strain on your, shall we say, interpersonal relationships. I trust that you’ve managed to find that balance?”

It took Hal a hot second to figure out what she had just implied, but as soon as it hit him, he felt dumbstruck. Barry evidently processed the question quicker than he did, looking at her with an offended look staining his features.

“I’m sorry.” He said with a huff of disbelief, “Are you asking us about our _sex life_?”

Mrs.Snider smirked, looking at the two with disdain. She didn’t answer Barry; she just shrugged and raised an eyebrow. The blond barked out a laugh, dropping his face into one hand and staying silent for a moment. When he looked up, his eyes were cold with controlled anger.

“Since you asked; it’s been nonexistent. Because as soon as we got word that a little boy needed our help to recover from an absolutely _traumatic_ living situation, we put everything else aside so we could fully focus on that.” Barry said through ground teeth, “And we are able to do that because, despite what you seem to think, we’re both **grown** **adults** capable of rational thought not unsupervised teenagers.

Hal listened to his husband’s rant, grateful that he had a half-decent poker face so he didn’t burst out laughing, that wouldn’t win him any points with the wicked witch of the midwest sitting across from him, and it might land him on the couch that night. Said witch narrowed her eyes at the pair of them before opening the previously untouched file and scanning the page.

“And may I inquire as to how he managed to get so injured without either of you noticing?” She asked, looking like she felt she had gotten them cornered.

“It was a wound given to him by his father, along with many others, it opened up again and he didn’t tell us. We noticed after he accidentally stepped in glass and got a small cut and we had to clean out his foot. As soon as we saw that he was that badly injured, we took him straight to the hospital for medical help.” Hal told her, Barry nodding alongside him.

“So he stepped in glass under your ‘ _care_ ’ as well?” Mrs.Snider sighed, “How did that happen?”

“As far as we can tell, the glass was slippery because some water had splashed out, the bottom of the cup bumped the edge of the sink and he dropped it. We had just had a meeting with his lawyer regarding the upcoming court case against his parents where he had an anxiety attack because he learned his mother wants custody, and the glass breaking sent him into another one, he stepped backward onto a piece of glass by accident. We got him calmed down and cleaned up, and that’s when we noticed that he had an injury on his hip.” Hal explained.

In his mind, it didn’t really matter that Wally had accidentally dropped a cup, or that he had stepped on a piece of glass. The cut it had given him was barely more than skin deep, it had just been an awful day and had been the straw that broke the camel's back, he and Barry had gotten the cut cleaned and bandaged, as well as comforted him through his anxiety attack. The entire thing had been a complete accident, it was no one person's fault and it wasn’t that big of a deal. 

“You let a child use a glass cup?” She asked incredulously. “Honestly, do either of you know anything about children? It’s downright dangerous to give a child something so breakable, it’s lucky that he only got a small cut and a downright miracle that he’s survived under your care!” 

Mrs.Thorne sent her coworker a tired look while Hal and Barry bristled at her attack.

“Andrea, it sounds like an accident, they happen all the time.” Mrs.Thorne reasoned with her partner.

“And he’s eight, not a toddler!” Barry snapped, his eyes harder than diamonds. “He’s perfectly capable of getting water from the tap himself. He’s incredibly independent and we don’t want to make him feel like we’re smothering him. It’s not like we’re negligent, one of us is always home with him at least, he can’t use the stove, I made him hold my hand in the mall parking lot, and we have been cooking high nutrients, healthy foods because he doesn’t eat much and we want what he does eat to be good for him!”

When he finished his outburst he was breathless, and his leg was bouncing under the table so fast it felt like he was about to put it through the floor. Dropping his head into his hands, Barry felt Hal put his hand on his back, rubbing circles over his shirt before moving to his shoulder and giving it a reassuring squeeze.

“Look, I’ll be the first to admit that we’ve made mistakes. We’ve never been parents before and there’s a steep learning curve.” Hal admitted to the two ladies, his hand never leaving Barry’s back. “But we love Wally and we’ll do anything to prove it to you. If you need to come and check out our house, just tell us what time works best for you and we’ll let you in. If you need our tax records or employment records, we can have those sent to you. We’ll do whatever it takes to convince you that we love our boy, just tell us what you need.”

Mrs. Snider sneered, looking down her nose at the pair. “I would love to speak with young Wallance, if that’s alright with the pair of you.”

“Sure, first thing tomorrow morning. You can speak to him before Barry and I even see him.” Hal agreed.

“Actually, I was hoping to talk to him this evening.” Mrs.Snider jeered.

“Well you are, of course, welcome to try, but he was given a dose of Ketamine and he won’t be awake for a good few hours.” Barry said, biting back laughter.

Mrs. Snider looked like she wanted to object but Mrs. Thorne placed a placating hand on her wrist and rose from her seat. 

“Then we’ll come speak with him in the morning. I think we have all we need for now gentlemen, good night.” She bid them, guiding her coworker out of the room.

As the door clicked shut behind them, Hal counted to ten silently before leaning back and rubbing his eyes.

“God, that woman’s a bitch.” He groaned. “I know it’s not nice to say, but she is.”

Barry laughed, standing and tugging Hals arm until he was up, lacing their fingers together as he led them to the hallway.

“I know right? Like, how are we bad parents for letting him drink out of a glass cup?” 

Smiling, Hal wrapped his arm around Barry’s shoulder, pulling him close against his side. The blond leaned into him, resting his head against his shoulder and nuzzling into the dip between his neck and his shoulder. The two of them made it out to Hal’s car when he felt something wet drip onto his skin, pulling away, Hal placed his hands on the sides of Barry’s face and started wiping away his tears, whispering platitudes all the while. 

When Barry moved towards him, Hal embraced him, moving back until he was leaning against the drivers side door, Barry’s head under his chin. The pilot knew that Barry was trying to hide, to not cause a scene in the parking lot, he normally had a better grip on his composure and if he put his mind to it, could rival Bruce. But everything about that awful week was getting to him, from both of them not noticing that their nephew was so hurt, to how miserable the little redhead had been since he had been admitted. Both of them were feeling out of sorts, it didn’t surprise Hal that Barry had hit his breaking point.

“They’re gonna take him from us!” Barry sobbed into his husband’s chest. “We’re going to lose our baby for this, and he hates us so much, I don’t think he’ll care!”

“Shh, shh Love.” Hal whispered, burying his face in his lover’s hair. “We’ll figure this out, we can work this out together, that’s what we do.”

Barry choked and shifted closer, letting his tears seep into Hal’s shirt while the other man’s breath tickled his scalp. He could feel hands on his back tracing his spine and brushing knuckles against his ribs, comforting him, drawing him back together.

“I love you.” He cried into Hal’s shirt, turning his face to press against his neck.

“I love you too babe.” 

Hal put his hands on Barry’s shoulders and pushed him away from his chest, taking his chin and lifting his face so he could kiss him, completely unconcerned with anyone who would happen by them. When the pair broke apart, Hal bent to press their foreheads together, so close to his lover he could smell the salt from his tears.

“Ready to go home?” Hal asked.

“Yeah,” Barry sniffed, wiping a hand over his cheeks, “Yeah, let’s go home.” 

~~~~~

Hal headed up the stairs feeling empty and naked. The house had lost a lot of its warmth since Wally had been gone and he was feeling that loss like a missing piece, like he was incomplete without his little boy keeping a watchful eye on everything he did. He knew he wasn’t alone in that regard, he was just dealing with it differently, Barry had gotten clingy, practically glued to his side whenever possible. Hal just preferred to not be in the house if he could avoid it, patrolling the city later than he usually did, it had gotten him some shit from Guy, who told him that if he could patrol the city he could patrol his own damn sector, but John had shut him up pretty quick and told him to take care of his family and call if he needed anything.

When he was in the house, Hal preferred to be sleeping, so at least he didn’t have to face the deafening silence. He was willing to admit that it wasn’t a healthy way to deal with his emotions, but he couldn’t be bothered to do anything about it. As far as he was concerned, the issue was that Wally was gone and as soon as he was back where he belonged, he would be fine.

Finally getting to the top of the stairs after what felt like an eternity, Hal paused, looking down the hall away from his room and towards Wally’s empty one. Taking a deep breath, he forcibly turned away from his nephew’s room, he couldn’t fall down that rabbit hole tonight, not when it had already been so awful. Pushing the door open to the master bedroom, he could see Barry under the covers on the bed, his blond hair tousled instead of tidy like he had it when he was awake. Stripping down to his boxers, Hal slipped under the blankets and wrapped his arms around his husband, kissing his forehead in a greeting.

“How are you just in your underwear?” Barry moaned, he himself being in flannel pajamas to keep warm

“I’m from California, I soaked up all the heat.” Hal answered. The weather had gotten much colder now that it was November and the two were waiting on the first snowfall. “And I have a human space heater to snuggle with.”

“Ha ha.” Barry deadpanned, inching closer until he was tucked against Hals side, running his hands over his exposed chest. “Well, I’m going to sleep. See you in the morning if you’re not a snowman by then.”

Hal smiled, kissing Barry again and reaching for the lamp’s chain. “Alright, good night Love.”

“Goodnight.” Barry responded, hearing the chain click and the room get engulfed in darkness.

Barry could tell from his place in the bed that Hal didn’t fall asleep, and Hal could feel from his near-constant movement that neither did Barry. Neither man brought it up, they only sought comfort in the others presence through the night, the only tell being the occasional sniff and squeeze of the hand on a shoulder, arm, or hand. Outside, the first snowflake hit the ground in their yard, forcing the rest of the world into winter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If any one is wondering why Mrs.Snider is such a colossal Bitch, she's a character based on my homophobic coworker who flat out told me to my face that gay people shouldn't even be allowed near children. She also told me good women don't vote but that's an argument for another time. I know recently that I've been heavy on the angst and I can't promise that next chapter will be better, sorry.
> 
> Love you guys lots, I hope you're staying safe and healthy.


	18. MRIs, What Fun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wally has yet another rough day as he's interviewed by Social Services and given an MRI scan, but the families luck may be turning around as Hal is given a chance to spend a little more time with his nephew in need.

Hal and Barry were seated in the waiting room while the social service worker and the Wicked Witch of the Midwest spoke with Wally privately in his hospital room. Hal felt more comfortable calling Mrs.Snider a witch after making a joke about it to Barry, who had immediately piled on and now both of them referred to her as the Wicked Witch of the Midwest. Because they wanted to speak with Wally privately, neither was allowed near Wally’s room until given permission and so they were sentenced to the waiting room, waiting. 

Hal had been spending his time holding Barry’s hand and texting Ollie, looking for advice on how best to rebuild broken bridges. What he had been given so far had been mixtures of ‘give it time’ and ‘let him know you love him’, which were great but it was hard to give something time when it needed to be readdressed once a day and it was hard to get the message ‘we love you’ across when then were consistently ignoring his wishes. It was an increasingly frustrating situation that kept getting worse. 

“I don’t like this.” Barry stated, unprompted.

“Given the nightmare this week has been, I’m gonna need you to be more specific.” Hal replied.

“I don’t like that they get to be in there alone with Wally, especially the Witch.” Barry specified while looking agitated.

“I know, me neither. But it makes sense, if we were hurting Wally and we were in the room with him, he wouldn’t feel safe enough to tell the truth. It’s a policy that sucks for us but is there to keep the kids safe so there’s nothing we can do about it.” Hal said, squeezing his hand.

“No no, I get why we aren’t allowed in the room with him. I’m just worried that Snider might be trying to put words into his mouth or convince him that we’re trying to hurt him. She tried to talk us in circles yesterday, I don’t think she’s above pulling that on Wally.” Barry said.

“Mrs. Thorne is in there with her, I’m sure that she’ll make sure Wally is actually heard not puppeteered.” Hal comforted him even though he was also worried about how Wally was being treated by the people who would ultimately decide where he would be going when he was discharged.

The two fell back into silence, staring down the hall towards their nephews room. At that moment, Dr. Curtis strutted into the room, giving the pair a quick glance as he passed by before halting and turning back to them.

“Ahh, just the pair I was looking for! I wanted to speak with you about your nephew.” He said, taking a seat near them.

“Is everything alright?” Hal asked.

“His injury is healing as we hoped, but he hasn’t been gaining weight like we were expecting, even with the nasogastric tube. We’ve switched him to a higher nutrient formula as well as increased the number of feedings a day, but one of my head nurses suggested that part of the problem is that he’s stressed out.

“She’s noticed that when the Ketamine wears off in the night, he’ll wake up and start crying. She’s reported him rocking and whimpering to himself and she thinks part of the problem is that he wakes up alone. At her suggestion, we were hoping to clean out his injury in the morning rather than in the evening, so when he wakes up he isn’t alone, you too are still here.” Dr. Curtis informed them.

“Our worry is, if he continues to lose sleep that his immune system will be further compromised, which could worsen his infection or could lead to entirely new ones. Medicine has progressed in recent years and he likely won’t die from a new illness or infection, but it could still leave lasting effects regardless.

“Oh great, that’s what he needs right now.” Barry muttered, rubbing his temples with two fingers.

“Of course we will do anything that you think will help our nephew, just let us know how we can help.” Hal said to the doctor.

“Oh!” Barry exclaimed, perking up. “We noticed yesterday that he’s started sucking his thumb, he’s never done that at home. We were wondering if it’s normal.”

“It’s probably the stress. We see it a lot in kids when they’re hurt like he is, where they’ll fall back on an old comfort like thumb sucking or rocking. Don’t let him do it much, it’s really not good for his teeth but other than that it’s not too big of a problem, it should go away once he’s settled down.”

Alright, thank you doctor. If there’s anything we can do to help Wally, we’d be open to trying it.” Hal said.

“Excellent. Also, we have an appointment for an MRI scheduled for three o’clock in the afternoon, we just want to check to make sure that the blood poisoning didn’t make it to his brain. We’re fairly confident that you caught it before it could get to that point but we just want to be safe.” Dr. Curtis informed them.

“Okay, thank you.” Barry thanked him.

Dr. Curtis stood up, nodding to the pair. “Thank you for your time gentlemen, now I must be on my way. I’ll come to clean out Wally’s hip as soon as Social Services say that you two are allowed in the room.”

And with that, he left the waiting room.

~~~~

After an eternity, the Social workers passed through the doorway of the waiting room, immediately setting eyes on Hal and Barry. The Wicked Witch of the Midwest opened her mouth like she was about to say something, only to be interrupted by Mrs. Thorne.

“There you are! We’ve got what we can get right now, so we’ll be on our way and let you two spend some time with your nephew. We’ll still need to conduct a home visit but that doesn’t need to be done today, we’ll call you when we’re going to come. You’re both aware of our entry rights?” She asked, getting nods from both men. 

“Excellent! Then we’ll see you when we see you.” 

And with that, she led her coworker down the adjacent hall, disappearing around a corner and out of sight. Hal and Barry exchanged a quick glance before quickly standing up and hurrying down the hall to Wally. When they got there, they found him still curled on his side with his arms in front of his face with his thumb in his mouth, though his eyes were open. Hal was surprised when Wally lifted and turned his head towards them when they came in, he could have even sworn that he saw a spark of relief flicker across his face before it disappeared and he rested his head back onto the pillow.

“Wally, don’t put your fingers in your mouth please.” Barry asked. Wally reluctantly moved his hand, looking to his uncle for approval, a small smile lighting up his face for a split second before it also disappeared.

Sharing a look with Barry, Hal knew he hadn’t imagined that look and he was hopeful that it was the beginning of rebuilding the trust they had lost. That feeling only grew when they got settled in their seats and Hal noticed that Wally had shifted, lessening the gap between them. Barry placed his hand open-palmed on the mattress in his reach, willing the little boy to establish some kind of contact with him, disappointed when he didn’t. Hal still remained hopeful, though Wally still wasn’t allowing touch, he wasn’t pushing himself away from them and that in and of itself was progress.

~~~~

A few minutes later, Dr. Curtis entered the room with a nurse, carrying their usual supplies for the task ahead. Wally sat up immediately, looking betrayed and scared as the nurse filled the syringe. Dr. Curtis sat down on the side of the bed, waving his hand near Wally’s line of sight to get his attention.

“Good morning Wally, we were hoping to try something new today. My friend here is going to give you your usual sedative but in a smaller dose, so you won’t be asleep quite so long.” He informed in a light voice.

Wally looked between the doctor and his guardians with uncertainty, his green eyes already welling up with tears.

“But-but they just got here.” He whispered.

“I know, but this will only take a moment.” The doctor acknowledged, giving the nurse a nod of consent to inject the Ketamine.

Wally started sobbing, shaking his head and starting to grab at the I.V tube. Deciding to intervene, Barry moved from his seat onto the bed, holding up a hand.

“Wait, hang on!” He implored, looking at the doctor while the nurse paused. “Can I talk to him for just a moment?”

When the doctor nodded, Barry turned his attention to his nephew, tapping the hand he was using to tug at the I.V line.

“Hey baby, I know you’re upset but you know better than to pull at that.” Barry chastised. Wally moved his hand away from the tube but didn’t stop crying. “Why don’t you tell me what’s upsetting you so I can make it better Baby. I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s wrong.”

The little boy sniffled, looking up at Barry with big, sad eyes, tears rolling down his cheeks.

“You just got here,” He whimpered. “You just got here.”

“I know, we just need to clean out your injury and then we can move on with our day.” Barry comforted him.

“No but, but,” Wally stammered, “No you just got here.”

Hal could see that Wally wasn’t going to give them anything more than that, whether it was just because he was tired and stressed or because he himself didn’t know what he was feeling and how to vocalize it. Hal did however, have a sliver of an idea about what hurdle Wally was struggling with, so he spoke up.

“And we’ll still be here when you wake up, that’s why we’re doing it so early.” 

Wally turned to look at him, glancing between his uncles, unconvinced. The nurse and the doctor were staying quiet, letting the two men calm the child down in peace.

“You just got here.” He reiterated.

“Mhmm, we did. But we’ll still be here when you wake up Sweetheart.” Barry promised. “I promise, they’re going to give you a smaller sedative so you’re not asleep as long so we can still spend plenty of time with you.”

The little boy shook his head, dropping his chin to his chest and pulling his legs up to hide his face. Sighing, Barry nodded to the doctor who waved to the nurse to go forward with the sedation.

“We’ll be here when you wake up Baby.” Barry promised.

Wally sobbed and yanked his left arm violently. Barry grabbed Wally, spinning him to press his back against his chest, holding his hands so he couldn’t hurt himself anymore.

“Stop it! Leave me alone!” He shrieked, kicking his legs and twisting to try and break Barry’s grip to no avail.

The nurse swiftly administered the Ketamine, the drug running from the line into Wally’s vein, his struggles doubling. Hal knew the drugs had started to take hold when Wally stopped kicking and he instead pushed against Barry’s chest, the blond released his nephew’s hands to start hugging him, stroking his hair and kissing his head.

“But you just got here.” He slurred, him head on Barry’s shoulder now that he was too tired to hold it up by himself. Barry nodded, running his hand up and down Wally’s arm and kissing his head again.

“I know, and we’ll still be here when you wake up Love.” He comforted him as his eyes closed and his crying died off.

Barry didn’t lay Wally back down onto his side until he was sure he was asleep, petting his hair and kissing his head to reassure the child that he was there. When he laid him down and stepped back, the doctor moved in to remove the bandages and actually disinfect the cut while inspecting the skin to make sure the darkness that had been creeping up his veins was receding. As soon as he was done, he reminded the couple about the MRI later in the afternoon and took his leave. Barry gently took one of Wally’s hands in his own, keeping a steady hold of it while he and Hal waited for the red head to wake up.

~~~~

True to the doctors word, the medicine didn’t take long to sleep off and within two hours, Wally started to stir, shifting and letting out little hums as he pulled through the last remnants of sleep. As soon as his uncles saw that he was waking up, they started talking to him.

“Hey sleepyhead, ready to wake up?” Barry cooed. 

Wally made a face and tilted his head into the pillow he was resting on, one eye cracking open when Barry spoke before opening both and lifting his head when he saw the pair beside him. Both men smiled at him, trying to look unthreatening incase he was still anxious.

“You’re still here.” Wally whispered, staring at them.

“Yeah, we promised we would be.” Hal reminded him.

Barry was still holding Wally’s hand, something that the child hadn’t noticed or if he was fine with the touch. Wally shifted, moving a little closer to the side of the bed they were beside, still staring at them like if he blinked they would disappear.

“Are you feeling a little better? Does your hip hurt?” Barry asked.

Wally shook his head, eyes still wide open.

“You can blink Kiddo, we aren’t going to vanish.” Hal told him gently.

Wally pointedly blinked, making Hal chuckle, though he did rest his head back onto the pillow.

“Atta boy.” Hal said.

~~~~

At quarter to three, a nurse arrived with a wheelchair to bring Wally to the MRI suite. She explained to the couple and to the child that she was going to remove the I.V after injecting a dye to make it easier to read the scans, and the feeding tube so it wouldn’t interfere with the MRI scan. She instructed Wally to take a deep breath and then started removing the tube, making the child whine with discomfort. When she had finished, she had Wally settle into the wheelchair and headed down the hallway to the elevators, finding an empty carriage so all four of them could fit in, all of them silently waiting while they were taken to the floor they needed to be on.

When they got to the MRI suite, they were greeted by a technician who started explaining the process to Hal and Barry before asking them some basic questions while the nurse got Wally settled on the platform.

“So with kids, we understand that as parents you want to know how he’s doing. You can join us in the mechanics center, there’s a microphone in the machine so you’ll be able to hear him, as well as a speaker if you want to talk to him.” The tech informed them.

“To get the images we want he’ll need to be in there for about fifteen minutes, during which he’ll need to be still so the pictures aren’t blurry. We know this can be trying, especially on young kids, either because they get bored or because the machine is loud, but we have yet to have a patient we couldn’t get a proper scan of, so we’re confident that this should work. Do either of you have any questions?” He asked.

“No, I think I’m all good.” Hal said, looking at Barry for his confirming nod. “We’re good to start when you are.”

“Excellent! Before we begin, I always make sure that the patient knows where their parents are going to be, so if you two want to tell him that he can talk to you during the procedure, we can get started.”

Nodding their thanks, the couple moved to the side of the platform, Barry kneeling down to talk with Wally.

“Hey Kiddo, we can’t be in the room with you when the machine is on so we’ll be in the control room next door, but there’s a microphone and a speaker in there so we can hear you and talk to you, alright?” Barry told him.

Wally nodded, though he was tense and he kept glancing around the room like he was searching out some hidden threat. The nurse who brought him in placed a compassionate hand on his shoulder to guide him onto his back, Wally gluing his eyes to Barry’s as he laid back. At the technicians beckoning, the two men were guided out of the suite and into the control room, watching as the platform shuddered as it started pulling Wally into the MRI, as soon as it was in and had stopped moving, the tech handed the microphone to Hal.

“Press the button, ask him if he can hear you.” He instructed.

Hal obliged, pressing the button and speaking into the mic. “Hey Squirt! Can you hear me in there?”

There was silence on the other end and the tech started checking his screens and controls to make sure everything was working. After a few seconds, he chuckled.

“Tell him he needs to give a verbal response because we can’t see him.” He laughed.

“Hey Wally, can you say something if you can hear me? We can’t see you in there.” Hal tried again.

“Oh, yeah I can hear you Uncle Hal.” Wally’s disembodied voice said, getting smirks and some laughter from those in the control room.

“Happens all the time with kids,” The tech laughed, “They assume that we can see them so they just nod. Tell him we’re going to turn on the machine in a second and to expect some noise.”

“Okay, glad to hear it Buddy. They’re gonna turn on the machine now, so it’s going to get loud, that’s just how we know that machine is doing its job, okay?” Hal explained, smiling at Barry.

“O-okay.” Wally said, uncertainty lacing his voice.

As the machine started up, the speakers picked up thumping noises and a low, loud hum, as well as a shuddering gasp and surprised cry from Wally.

“Uncle Hal!” He cried. 

Hal immediately spoke into the microphone again, letting Wally know he was there.

“I’m still here Kid, you’re all good.” He reassured. “Your Uncle Barry’s here too, we’ve got you.”

Hal turned the microphone to his husband, who leaned in to talk with their nephew.

“We’re both here Sweetie, you’re alright.”

The little boy didn’t say anything, though Hal could hear him whimpering over the speaker with an occasional shaky breath and knew that he was scared. On the screen, Hal could see a blurry outline of a child’s body, with various blobs and structures that made up organs and muscle, the figure kept jerking, it’s right hand moving to it’s head and back down to it’s side rapidly, leading him to believe that Wally was trying to wipe away his tears. The technician pursed his lips when the image on screen shuddered and went from blurry to abstract, crooking his fingers to get Hal’s attention.

“Tell him he needs to stay still.” He directed.

“Hey Wally,” Hal said into the mic, watching the screen to get a clue as to what Wally was doing. “You need to stay still alright?”

“Why?” Came a frightened response. On the screen, the blurry image of Wally’s brain was alight with various colours and Hal could see his heart rate start to pick up.

“The machine is taking pictures.” Hal explained carefully, not sure how much to tell the child. “And when you move around, the pictures get blurry and we can’t see anything. We just need you to lie still for a few more minutes.”

For a moment there was nothing but shaky breaths and some hiccups, the image on screen still too blurry for Hal to make out what it was. Then he heard a deep breath and the image went still, the outline clearing up as the various shapes started to distinguish themselves.

“Good boy.” Hal praised.

The colours representing Wally’s brain continued to flash and throb, a variety of blues, greens, and reds, as well as some spots that were just dark. The technician gave Hal a nod of thanks before continuing his task, occasionally murmuring to the nurse or his assistant and pointing out spots on the screen.

After awhile, it seemed everything had sorted itself out, and then, over the speaker, the MRI made an unusually loud thumping noise, making Barry jump in shock. Hal heard Wally shriek and for a moment his brain was a lightshow before the screen once again went blurry. The technician stood up, snatching the mic out of Hal’s hand and gesturing wildly to his assistant, who started pressing buttons.

“He’s panicking, we’re pulling him out.” He told them curtly before speaking into the mic. “Hey Kid, we’re shutting off the machine and bringing you out, your dads are going to be there when you come out, just take a few deep breaths, okay.”

The nurse waved Hal and Barry along with her, the trio briefly congregating in the hallway while she swiped her identification to open the door, pushing it open and standing to the side to give the couple room to enter. They rushed into the room just in time to see Wally emerging from the machine, his entire body trembling and pale all over with the exception of the tear tracks down his cheeks. The platform hadn’t even stopped before Wally was scrambling off of it, slamming on foot on the floor as the other closely followed only for his legs to crumple beneath him. Barry darted forward, catching the redhead in his arms before he could hit the floor and pulling him against his chest, rubbing his back and trying to calm him down.

Wally wasn’t having any of it, beating and flailing in Barry’s grip to get away from him, squirming until he was almost bent double over his uncle's shoulder while he struggled to keep a hold of him. Hal reached down and lifted Wally under his arms, settling him under his own chin with a firm hand on his shoulder to keep him from squirming out of his grip. The hold didn’t stop Wally from fighting him, twisting and clawing until there were bloody scratch marks down Hal’s bicep as he fought to get away.

“Christ Almighty, what has gotten into you?” Hal muttered.

While he knew that logically, fear would override manners, Wally had never kicked up this much of a fuss and he had certainly never fought them while he was worked up. Hal had seen two of the three panic attacks Wally had suffered in their care and he had been sated and relatively passive, letting himself be touched and stroked as the two adults had tried to help him calm down, the fighting behaviour he was displaying now felt like it was coming from way out of left field. And while he had heard second hand from Barry that Wally had hurt himself while panicking, the actual reality of it overthrew what Hal had been thinking it would be, in his mad scramble to get out of Barry’s hold, Wally had torn the gauze covering his injury off so it was hanging by a few pieces of surgical tape as blood seeped out of the reopened wound.

“Bring him out here.” The nurse suggested, jerking her thumb over her shoulder to the hallway.

Barry stood up and placed a hand on Wally’s stiff back, looking Hal in the eyes as their nephew strained against his hold. Hal nodded, letting Barry lead him out into the hallway and into a chair against the wall, getting the two of them settled before crouching down beside them.

Once he was away from the MRI, Wally settled down a considerable amount. He was still wound tight and panting, but he wasn’t actively fighting tooth and nail against them anymore, which was certainly a win. The nurse came over with a dixie cup full of water and pressed it into Barry’s hand.

“Get him to take small sips of that, it should calm him down.” She prescribed before going back to the MRI suite to give the three some privacy.

Barry examined the cup, noting how full it was and how shaky Wally’s hands were before taking a few sips to lessen the chance of Wally spilling it and making a mess. Tapping Wally’s shoulder as sweetly as he could, Barry tried to get his attention to no avail. Wally hand dropped his his head into his arms, hiding his face from all view, his shoulders were quivering as he wept and his bloody fingernails were embedded into the skin on the side of his head as he desperately covered his ears, furiously trying to block out the world and people around him.

“What do you want to do?” Barry asked.

“I have no idea, he’s never done this before and I hate to think of exactly where the breaking point was because we must have been toeing that line for some time.” Hal admitted, wincing as the scratch marks running down his arms stung.

Sighing, Barry slipped one arm around Wally’s back and the other one between Hal and Wally, tugging the shivering child out of Hal’s grasp and into his arms, standing up to give Wally more room to stretch out when he calmed down. He was still awkwardly holding the water cup, juggling that and his kid until Hal took it from him. Having both hands free, he started rubbing Wally’s back and running his fingers down his arms, pressing his face into Wally’s hair to pepper his scalp with kisses while Hal stood up and placed his hand on Wally’s shoulder, both men waiting for the kid to tucker himself out.

When he finally calmed down it took Wally a few moments to emerge from the safe haven his arms covering his face provided, and it took generous amounts of coaxing for him to start looking at them in more than just fleeting glances. He nearly retreated into himself entirely when he saw the marks he had left on Hal’s arms and he flinched when Hal handed him the water cup.

“Drink this Kiddo, it’ll make you feel better.” Hal instructed kindly, keeping his body language open and as non threatening as he possibly could to keep the redhead relaxed.

Wally took the cup and examined its contents as though they might be poison and not just water before taking a cautious sip. Barry and Hal exchanged sad looks over Wally’s head, trying to figure out how to get him out of this funk without pushing him further away from them when the nurse returned with Dr. Curtis.

“Ahh, I heard there was some trouble.” He said, taking in the scene before him with a grimace. 

Pulling a prescription bottle from his pocket, he shook one pill out into his palm before addressing the other adults.

“Are you two alright if we give him a relaxant? It’ll calm him down for a while.” 

Barry and Hal both nodded, Barry setting Wally in the now empty chair so the doctor could address him properly.

“Wally, would you please take this?” He asked, kneeling down to look Wally in the eye and placing the pill into his hand, only for the little boy to stare at it.

“What is it?” He rasped, toying with the little capsule but not putting it in his mouth.

“It’s something to help you calm down, it’ll make you feel more at ease.” The doctor answered.

Wally stared down at it for a few more seconds before tossing it in his mouth and dry swallowing it, his mouth twitching at the taste. Dr. Curtis nudged the cup in Wally’s hand, bringing it to his attention.

“Drink some water.” He advised, watching Wally bring the cup to his mouth and swallow down the remainder of its contents.

Standing up and walking over to Hal and Barry, Dr. Curtis gestured for the adults to come in close enough that they could speak without being overheard by the child he needed to discuss. Hal made sure to keep a watchful eye on Wally in case he tried to wander off while the adults were talking.

“That pill should kick in shortly, it’ll keep him awake but he’ll be very relaxed and very easy to work with. It should help keep him still while they complete the MRI and it shouldn’t last longer than an hour, though I will warn you that he will be clumsy and he might not fully recognize you.” The doctor explained.

“Okay, thank you.” Barry said, grateful that they wouldn’t be forcing his nephew into another panic attack for the sake of his overall health.

“So we just wait for that to kick in and then take him back in?” Hal asked, watching Wally pick at the creases in the plastic chair inattentively.

“That’s about it.” Dr. Curtis agreed, following Hal’s gaze to the child. 

“How do we know when it’s started working?” Hal inquired, worried that he would take him back in too soon and trigger another panic attack.

“Don’t worry too much about that, it’ll be pretty obvious when it takes affect, if you’ve ever seen him as he’s been very tired or perhaps just woken up, it’ll be very similar to that.” He assured Hal.

Sure enough, he was right. Both Hal and Barry noticed when Wally stopped fiddling with his hands in lieu of staring blankly at the floor through half-closed eyes, not seeming bothered when they approached him. Barry knelt down and rested his hand on his shoulder, Wally’s head lifting drunkenly to look at who was touching him.

“Hey Sweetheart, we need to go finish the MRI, but as soon as that’s done we’ll bring you back to your room so you can have a nap, sound alright?” He asked sweetly, tracing Wally’s cheek with his thumb.

“No.” Wally murmured sleepily, though with conviction, blinking rapidly as though trying to wake himself up.

“No? Why ‘no’?” Barry asked, concerned that the child was still scared.

“You’re gonna be gone.” He slurred, leaning lightly into Barry’s touch. “I’m gonna fall ‘sleep, and you’ll be gone. I don want you to be gone.” 

Hal felt conflicted, on one hand it was sweet that Wally didn’t want them to go, but on the other it was hard to see him so distraught at the thought of it. Barry just seemed overjoyed that Wally was expressing any sort of positive attachment to them, lifting the kid up into a hug and holding him tightly.

“Oh Baby, we’ll still be here when you wake up, you’ll just be taking a little nap. Now we need to go get this scan done and then we can spend the rest of the day with you.” He comforted, Wally tucking his head into the crook between his shoulder and his neck while he was being carried.

Getting Wally laid back on the platform and into the machine now that he was drugged was a world easier than it had been the first time, being content to just lay there and let whatever was about to happen, happen. The scan went over seamlessly, Hal and Barry keeping a steady stream of praise and comforts flowing through the microphone and into the machine all the while, with Hal catching glimpses of the imagery on the screen, focusing in his head. The colours being more blue and muted then various and jarring.

When they pulled Wally out, Hal and Barry were there to greet him, the later immediately sweeping him up into his arms, not that Wally seemed to have any problem with it when he rested his head back on Barrys shoulder and curled into his embrace. The nurse offered Barry the choice of carrying his nephew back to his room or setting him in the wheelchair, smiling widely when Barry selected the primary without any hesitation.

When they got Wally back to his room and settled on the bed, the nurse produced a blue ring pop, asking Wally to suck on it for a few moments. Hal was a little confused as to why a healthcare professional was offering sweets until she started refitting the Nasogastric tube, Wally tilting his head a bit but ultimately staying still as she finished her work, content to enjoy the treat despite the inconvenience. 

“Neat trick.” Hal admitted, he had been expecting a little more of a fuss when they had to reinsert the feeding tube, but it seemed she had figured out the cheat codes for this particular issue.

“Yeah, some coworkers and I discovered it back when we first started working in pediatrics some twenty years ago. It makes it easier to insert the tube if their swallowing, so with infants we just give them a soother and that does the job, but older children don’t go for that. Then my buddy Sam realized that a ring pop is essentially a pacifier for older children and showed the rest of us, it cut the time it took to insert a feeding tube in half so we told the rest of the nursing staff. We’ve got a supply of them in the Nursing station for this, makes it easier on everyone.” She recounted, replacing the I.V drip and turning to the couple.

“Once you two get him settled, Dr. Curtis was hoping to talk with you.” 

Exchanging a worried look, Hal and Barry set to work getting Wally to sleep. It wasn’t a monumental task, getting him laid back against the pillows and tucking the starched sheets around his shoulders, Barry insisted that he relinquish the ring pop, tucking it back into the wrapper. From there, it was just a matter of waiting, Hal perched on the side of the bed, cupping Wally’s cheek with one hand, the other tracing under his closed eye with his thumb, it took mere minutes for Wally to fall asleep, looking far more peaceful than he had in awhile. The two soundlessly made their way to the hallway, greeted by the doctor.

“There you are, I was discussing your son’s case with Dr. Jackson and given the amount of stress he’s been under, we’ve both agreed that it may be helpful if one of you were to stay the night with him here at the hospital, if you were inclined to do that.” He informed them.

“Yes.” They said at the same time.

“Alright, glad to hear it. I’m afraid only one of you can stay at a time, so discuss among yourselves who it should be and let me know who will be staying.” He requested, leaving them to discuss.

“It should be you.” Hal said immediately, only for Barry to shake his head.

“No, you should stay with him.” He corrected.

“What do you mean? He trusts you more than me.” Hal pointed out, ignoring the bitter feeling the fact left in his gut.

“That may be, but I’m a deep sleeper. If he needed me in the night, I would never hear it. You, on the other hand, wake up if there’s a light breeze, you should stay with him.” Barry argued, squaring his shoulders.

Hal pondered it for a second, mostly out of decorum, he definitely wanted to stay with Wally but didn’t want to try to strong arm Barry out of spending some bonding time with the child. In the end, they both agreed that it would be Hal staying with Wally, which they informed the doctor. From there, Barry went back to stay with Wally until he woke up while Hal drove back to the house to take a quick shower and gather a small bag of clothes and his toothbrush along with a travel tube of toothpaste. He was both excited for and dreading the night ahead, though he tried his best to conceal it when he reentered the hospital room and settled beside Barry, a cot had been set up beside the wall a few feet from Wally’s bed, already made up with covers and a pillow.

~~~~~

Later that night, a few hours after Barry had gone home, Hal lay in the cot. He could hear Wally shuffling around in his bed, though he hadn’t heard any indication that he was distressed or in need of assistance so he let him be. Checking his phone, Hal saw that it was almost nine in the evening and decided to try to get some sleep, if Wally needed him, he would hear it, and he would be there for him for however long he needed.


	19. When the Walls Come Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pretty much what the title says.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning! Warning! Warning! Mentions of sexual abuse of minors, sexual abuse, there is nudity of a minor but it isn't graphic or sexual and if anyone says it is, I'm gonna throw hands.

Barry had barely gotten in the front door when his phone started playing Oliver’s ringtone, Three Days Grace ‘I Hate Everything About You’ echoing in the empty house. He honestly considered just ignoring Ollie and pretending that he had been busy, but that would not only have been rude, it would have also been selfish. Ollie and the rest of the league had been willing to bend over backwards to help him and Hal when Wally had come to live with them, and they had all rallied together when Wally had been readmitted to the hospital, all without asking for anything in return, the least Barry could do for any of them would be to answer the phone.

“Hello?” He asked into the phone, praying this would at least be a quick call.

“Hey! Bear, my third favourite blond! How’re you doing?” Ollie’s eccentric voice chirped.

“As well as I can be Oll, how are you?” 

“Chipper. Listen, I know you probably don’t want to be talking to me right now but Hal’s not answering his phone and I’ve been trying to get ahold of him.” Ollie explained, sounding genuinely apologetic.

“He’s staying at the hospital with Wally tonight, his phones on ‘do not disturb’ mode, sorry. What’s up?” Barry related, closing the door and slipping his shoes off, not bothering to put them away in the closet before he went to the living room and collapsed on the couch.

“Well that’s nice for him. Listen, Bats wants to talk to both of you at his lair soon, like, right now. I’m already here, we just need you here. Don’t worry about Hal, we’ll get him up to date later, just get here as fast as you can.” Oliver ordered, and for the first time, Barry heard voices in the background, presumably Alfred and Bruce.

“Okay.” He sighed, reluctantly getting up and heading back to the entrance way. “I’ll be there in a second.”

“See, I know there’s something wrong with you, cause you didn’t say ‘be there in a flash’.” Ollie pointed out.

“Goodbye Oliver.” Barry said forcefully, ending the conversation and hanging up. 

Once he had his shoes on, he left and relocked the door. Glancing around to make sure none of his neighbours were outside, Barry started running to New Jersey, watching the world blur into a mirage of colours and sounds.

He would have liked it if the run had lasted forever, just himself, his awful mood, and the array of colours for the rest of eternity, but all too soon he was arriving at the entrance of the Batcave and he had to stop. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he started vibrating his molecules through the steel door and into the interior, once inside, he rushed down the hall and to the main cave.

He was greeted by Bruce, Alfred, Clark, Oliver, and Dinah, all of whom were assembled around the computer. Clark was the first one to acknowledge that he had entered the cavern, though he had no doubt that Bruce had known exactly where he was as soon as he had stepped foot on his property. The farmer's son grinned, literally flying over to Barry and bundling him into a bear hug, Barry swore he could feel his ribs constricting as Clark squeezed him.

“Oh Buddy, it’s good to see you.” Clark said, lifting Barry off his feet entirely.

As he was released and able to get his breath back, Barry waved and nodded to the others, getting a serious nod from Oliver.

“Bartholomew.” He said, forcing a no nonsense look onto his face.

“Why are you calling me by my full name?” Barry asked.

“You called me by mine when you hung up, I thought it’s what we do now.” Ollie teased, slapping him on the shoulder in good humour as Barry walked past him.

Bruce only acknowledged him with a nod before turning to his computer, his fingers flying over the keys as a formal looking document filled the screen. As Barry scanned it over, he realised that it was Wally’s hospital records.

“I’ve been keeping an eye on your nephew's health.” Bruce stated as though he were commenting on the weather and not admitting to hacking a hospital to get information on someone.

Barry took a breath, reminding himself that while it was unconventional, Bruce was trying to look out for them. All of the leaguers had loose boundaries with each other, it was hard to maintain enough distance to keep secrets when one member could hear everything on Earth, another had a rope that made people tell the truth, and the others were just gossips. Besides, he trusted Bruce and the rest of the folks gathered in his home to not misuse whatever information he was about to reveal, so he let it go.

“I’ve also been keeping up with your custody troubles.” He continued. “You and your husband don’t need to worry, I’ve already taken measures to make sure you keep the boy.”

“I-that’s,” Barry stammered, feeling a weight in his chest left. “That’s unbelievable. Thank you, Bruce. If there’s anything I can do to repay you, just name it.”

“That won’t be necessary, though I’ve also taken the liberty of making sure that Mrs. Snider doesn’t get anymore time with your nephew.” 

With that, he pulled up a paused video. Looking over the image, Barry knew that it was Wally’s room at the hospital. As Bruce was about to hit play, he turned to the others.

“I will warn you all, this is hard to watch.”

The video started with what was clearly the social service workers entering Wally’s room and introducing themselves before jumping right in.

“How have you been since moving in with your uncles?” Asked Mrs. Thorne, both women taking a seat where Hal and Barry usually sat.

Barry couldn’t make out what Wally said though he could hear him say something. Assuming that the microphone on the camera was bad, he kept watching.

“Have you had any difficulties with them since living with them?” She followed up, and Barry again didn’t hear what Wally said, but the little boy had started to sit up, shifting to face the women in his space.

“Do you miss your parents?” Mrs. Thorne asked.

Barry didn’t know if Wally said anything but he didn’t need to, the little boy had shaken his head with an enthusiasm he hadn’t displayed before and some laughter rippled through the audience.

“What kind of response were they expecting?” Oliver asked. “Do they think the kid’s gonna be like, oh yeah, I really miss the people who bashed my skull in. Can’t wait to see them again. They must know that Wally isn’t stupid.”

The video continued as Barry found himself agreeing with Ollie, it seemed Snider had latched onto the idea of Wally missing his parents despite evidence to the contrary and was taking it in storm.

“Oh come now, you don’t miss your mommy, even just a little?” She pushed, ignoring Wally’s body language clearly saying that he didn’t. 

“Ma’m, I think it’s pretty obvious that he doesn’t want his mama.” Clark muttered under his breath, temporarily taking Barry’s mind off the problem to marvel at how Clark could never bring himself to be impolite

Mrs. Thorne, at least, picked up on the child’s discomfort and moved the conversation away from the topic, getting back to Barry and Hal and bringing Barry back to the matter at hand.

“Wally, have you ever been afraid of your uncles?” She asked.

“Oh no.” Dinah muttered from somewhere behind him. He wasn’t sure whether to be grateful or not that he could hear Wally’s reply this time around.

“Sometimes. I was really scared when I first woke up with them.”

“Well you can hardly blame a child for that. I’ve been slightly scared every time I didn’t know where I was when I woke up.” Ollie declared.

“Oliver, when you don’t know where you are when you wake up, it’s generally been because you lost a fight. The kid was in a medically induced coma and woke up in a different state.” Clark scolded, not taking his eyes off the screen as the video continued.

“Have you been scared of them since you’ve woken up?” Mrs. Thorne pressed.

“A little. They’re really different from Mama and Dad, but it’s nice. They’re kind of weird.” Wally admitted, and they jumped on that.

“What makes them weird? Is it a good weird or a bad weird?” Mrs. Thorne asked.

“Good weird. They’re really touchy, they don’t yell at each other. They always dance in the morning, but there’s no music or anything. I don’t know, they’re weird.” Wally explained.

“Aww Baby.” Barry muttered sadly. Dinah came up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed.

“It could be worse, he clearly thinks highly of you.” She comforted him.

“Well that is nice, I’m mostly sad that he’s been conditioned to think that not yelling and being affectionate with each other is an oddity.” Barry said.

“You said they’re touchy, are they touchy with you?” Mrs. Snider demanded.

“A little.” 

“Shit.” Ollie cursed, getting a glare from Alfred.

“Are you okay with that? Does it make you uncomfortable when they touch you.” Snider pushed, clearly thinking that she had found the achilles heel of their family dynamic.

“I like it. I like it when they’re close by, and it’s nice when they’re happy with me.” Wally’s voice was sincere and honest, it was very clear that he meant what he was saying.

“It never makes you uncomfortable?” Mrs. Thorne gently pried.

“Not really. They always ask before they touch me.” Wally told them.

Mrs. Snider scooted her chair forward, barely an inch from the bed itself. Wally shifted back, slouching in on himself. Barry recognized that body language as a sign that he was feeling intimidated and cursed the witch for not realizing what she was doing.

“Have they ever touched you anywhere,” Snider paused for a moment and Barry scowled at the screen. “Private?”

“Yeah, we don’t really leave the house much, and the only person who’s ever come over is Auntie Iris.” Wally explained, confidently misunderstanding the question and causing another round of awkward laughter to echo throughout the cave once again.

It was at that moment that Barry truly grasped just how innocent Wally still was. While certain horrible truths had been revealed to him and forced him to mature young, he was still just a little boy, one who would have problems deciphering a words dirty alternative meaning and might take it literally. In Wally’s mind ‘private’ didn’t mean ‘inappropriate’ or ‘Somewhere people shouldn’t touch’, in his mind, it just meant without other people around.

Mrs. Thorne seemed to have caught on to the fact that Wally wasn’t being molested by his guardians and moved on.

“Wally, if you were given the choice between going to live with another member of your family or staying with your uncles, which would you choose?” She asked.

Barry held his breath and braced himself for a disaster. He knew through Roy that Wally had always hoped he would end up with Iris, and given how open and affectionate he had been with her while she was over for dinner, he wouldn’t be surprised if that was still the case. But if he told the Wicked Witch of the Midwest that, he had no doubt that she would try to uproot him from their home regardless of the fact that Iris didn’t have the ability to be a parent.

“Will you tell anyone what I say?” Wally’s voice asked and Barry felt tears well up behind his eyes.

“Nothing will leave this room Dearie.” Mrs. Snider reassured him.

“I would like to stay with Uncle Hal and Uncle Barry.”

Barry froze, feeling like all time had stopped around him as Wally’s words sank in. 

He wanted to stay with them.

Even given the choice between Iris and them, he had chosen them. After being dragged to the hospital, put through his own personal hell, and being offered a chance to rant all of his stress away, he wanted them.

He was dragged back to reality by a large hand clasping onto his shoulder and shaking him roughly. He registered Ollie’s voice in his ear and figured that it was his hand on his shoulder, Dinah had latched onto his midsection and was hugging him tightly. Clark waited until the Queens had finished celebrating before giving him such an over enthusiastic slap on the back that it sent him staggering a few steps.

“He-he wants to stay with us.” Barry choked. “He doesn’t hate us, he wants to stay with us.”

He was grateful that Clarks congratulatory slap had made him step forward, as he was close enough to the base of the supercomputer that he could grab onto it as he bent double, weeping so hard he could barely draw a breath. His little boy, his baby, wanted to stay with them and it made him weak. 

The rest of the assembly were respectful of his breakdown, Bruce paused the video and averted his gaze while Alfred went to the refrigerator to fetch a cold bottle of water. Ollie and Dinah approached him, Ollie sliding his arm around him and hoisting him upright, nearly completely supporting his weight. Dinah moved in front of him and caught his face in her hands, bringing his forehead in to rest against her own.

“Of course he wants to stay with you.” She soothed. “You saved his life and he knows it. We both saw how much he trusts the both of you when you brought him over, he knows that you two will keep him safe and he loves you for it.”

“He’s just- he’s been so upset with us because of this, I figured he would jump to get away from us.” Barry confessed, gratefully accepting the water when Alfred brought it over and taking a steadying sip.

“I’ve said it to your husband and I’ll say it to you; he isn’t stupid, he’s just young. He understands that his cut was infected, he knew it needed to be cleaned, he just didn’t like that it had to happen. And yes, he was a little upset with you over it, but he’s clearly over it.” Oliver said.

“But he’s been so grumpy!” Barry pointed out.

“Master Barry, he’s tired. Of course he’s grumpy.” Alfred countered in his posh accent.

“Yeah Bear, full honesty, if you could get him to relax and get a solid eight hours of REM sleep under his belt, I guarantee you he’ll be more agreeable.” Ollie promised, letting Barry take his own weight but keeping and arm around him in case he buckled again. “Sometimes with kids, all they need is a good hug and a nap.”

Barry couldn’t counter that so he just nodded, wiping his tears and already so excited to relay the information to Hal in the morning. Bruce hovered the mouse over the play button and sent him an inquisitive glance, pressing the button when Barry nodded at him.

The video had skipped a little during Barry’s emotional outburst, and he assumed that they had missed a question but knew that it couldn’t be that important if Bruce hadn’t rewound the video to make him listen to it. Mrs. Snider was still doing the talking and it seemed she wasn’t done causing problems.

“Do you have anywhere you would like to go if they don’t keep you?” She asked.

For a moment there was silence, giving Barry the illusion that Wally was thinking about his answer.

“Why wouldn’t they keep me?” He asked, sounding frightened.

Barry couldn’t see Snider’s face, but if he had to guess, he would imagine that she had that same ‘shark smelling blood’ smile on her face as she had when speaking with them.

“No reason, we’re just exploring your options with you.” 

The words should have been calming, but she had said it like she was telling an obvious lie and Wally caught on. 

“Do they- Do they not want me anymore?” He asked, his voice was shaky as though he was barely holding himself together.

“Of course we want him.” Barry muttered under his breath. 

“Like I said, we’re just figuring out all your options.”

Everyone in the Batcave could hear Wally start crying and they could see him on the camera wiping at his face and shaking. Barry wouldn’t consider himself a violent man, if he raised his hands to anyone he always did so as a last resort and he was well respected in Central for trying to de escalate the situations he was in, but he had to admit that he wouldn’t mind giving Snider a taste of her own medicine.

“They do- don’t want me anymore, do they?” Wally cried.

Mrs. Thorne leaned forward, trying to place her hand on Wally’s shoulder only to have him flinch away.

“It’s my-m-my fault! I-I’ve been bad and now they don’t want me!” He sobbed, choking on his words. “Please, I’ll do be-bet-better, I’ll be good! I’ll do anything they want me to do, anything! I just want them to keep me, please, I just want them to keep loving me!”

Mrs. Snider crept up to sit on the bed, putting a clawed hand on Wally’s thigh and keeping it there despite his flinch.

“Oh Sweetheart. Do you think you have to be good to earn their love?” She asked, tsking when Wally nodded. 

“Of course he thinks he has to be good for us to love him, you bitch, you just lead him to believe that!” Barry exploded. His skin had the familiar tingling sensation it got when he was running or worked up and he knew without looking that he had sparks dancing over his hands and up his arms.

He took a few breaths when he heard Alfred clear his throat behind him.

“I’m sorry I cursed Alfred.” He apologized. 

The butler waved him off, his pursed lip being the only visible sign of his disapproval.

“My only complaint, Master Barry, is that you didn’t use a strong enough word.” He told the speedster.

Bruce sped the video up, skipping past Wally calming down enough to talk and continued to asking Wally more questions about his comfort with them. It made Barry annoyed that they hadn’t cleared up the intentional misleading where they got a child to think his guardians only loved him because he was easy to manage.

“Wally, let’s talk about their house. Where do you sleep?” Mrs Thorne asked.

“I sleep- I sleep in my room.” Wally hiccuped 

“And how private is your room? Do you have a door that closes all the way?” She followed up.

“Yeah, my door closes.”

“Do your uncles ever come into your room without asking?”

“No, they always knock.” Wally answered, looking towards the hallway. “Is Uncle Barry coming today?”

His question was completely ignored as they continued with their own inquiries.

“We need to go into your uncle’s house to look around, would you be alright if we went into your room?” Mrs Thorne asked.

“You can go into my room.” Wally allowed.

“Excellent! Well, I think that’s all the questions we have for you today young man! Why don’t we get you back to bed?” 

Mrs. Snider slid off the bed before placing her hands on Wally’s shoulders and pushing him against the mattress, sliding the covers up to his shoulders to tuck him in. Barry saw Wally slip his thumb into his mouth as the two women left the room and the video finished. He heard Oliver groan beside him, walking a few paces in a circle and settling at his side again.

“Well that was a roller coaster.” He declared, getting various hums of agreement from the others.

“Like I told you Barry, I’ve taken steps to make sure that Missus Andrea Snider doesn’t get anymore alone time with your nephew.” Bruce reiterated. “I’ve also taken care of the custody issue, they’ll go through the motions but you and Hal will keep Wallance.”

“Thank you Bruce, I don’t know how I can repay you.”

Bruce waved him off, “Just take care of that boy.”

Barry nodded, running a rough hand through his hair, feeling his fingers catch on knots formed by his rushed arrival. He was grateful for the slight pain it caused, if only because it gave him something to center himself.

“Oliver, Dinah, what did you two do when Roy was struggling?” He asked, hoping they would share any tricks they had picked up.

Ollie tugged on his goatee thoughtfully, thinking back to early days with his own son.

“What we learned pretty quick was that he’d only show us how hurt or upset he was when it got to the point that he couldn't manage it anymore, and by that point he wouldn’t be able to sleep or really eat. We figured out how to get him to relax, so we would start with sleep and go from there.” Ollie reminisced.

“How did you get him to sleep?” Barry pushed.

“I held him. I would convince him to watch a movie or something with me and keep my arm around him, from there I basically just got him into my lap and would lay down with him on my chest. Pretty much as soon as he was under my chin he was out, we think a lot of it has to do with the contact.”

“What do you mean ‘it had to do with the contact’?” Barry asked

“I mean he liked it when I would pull him into my lap. It’s like Wally saying he wants to stay with you, he trusted that I would keep him safe and he could relax.” Oliver shrugged. “He didn’t know how to ask for it, but he liked when it happened. Both Roy and Wally grew up in environments where there was no such thing as ‘safe touch’ so when they get affection that they like, they aren't sure what it is or how to ask for it.”

“Okay, so if we hold him, you think he’ll relax?” Barry clarified.

“I think it could be a start. Obviously he’s going to be fussy and upset at the hospital; it’s not his space, it’s scary, there are a lot of new people touching him, and the two people he does know have to keep leaving. Just start small, tell him you love him and miss having him home, hold his hand if he lets you, be there for him.” Ollie suggested.

“Bring him something that smells like home, like a blanket or something. That should give him a piece of home to hold onto if he’s feeling stressed and you two aren’t there.” Dinah piped up.

“I thought you did that with dogs?” Barry said.

“Works with kids too.” She told him, smirking with good humour.

Barry nodded, pondering how best to get Wally to relax and regain confidence that he was loved by the two men he lived with. He knew that he couldn’t just pick Wally up and start hugging and kissing him, the little boy was still uncomfortable with unannounced physical contact and especially with being grabbed, even in the past few days when he had reached out to try to hold his hands or touch his shoulders it was made clear that he was not interested in being manhandled, so he would need to find a way to let Wally know he was loved without forcibly crossing his boundaries anymore that had already happened. He also wanted to find a way to let Wally know that what had been said to him by Mrs. Snider was cruel and wrong without him knowing that there had been video recorded. Oliver noticed he was overthinking, slapping him on the back again to drag him out of it.

“Look man, you don’t need to make an entire plan tonight, all by yourself, when you’re clearly exhausted. You can go home and sleep and then tomorrow, you can sit down with Hal and the two of you can work on this together and fix this.” Ollie reassured him.

Barry nodded, massaging his eyes as he felt the exhaustion re-enter his bones and weigh on his limbs. He had forgotten how tired he was in the emotional rollercoaster of the past few minutes, but the anger was wearing off and he was feeling tired.

“Maybe you’re right.” He muttered. 

“He is.” Bruce voiced.

Clark rolled his eyes at Bruce, turning to Barry with a sympathetic look.

“We all know that you and Hal love Wally, and we heard about how you got him to open up a little and how you’ve both supported him. If you both work together, I’m sure you can build your relationship with him back up.” Clark cheered, trying to reassure Barry of his parenting skills.

“Thank you Clark, I appreciate it.” Barry thanked him, inwardly questioning how well such polar opposites like Bruce and Clark were doing being under the same roof.

“Clark and Ollie have some good points.” Dinah said. “You should go home and get some rest, from the look of you, you haven't been.”

“You’re right, you're all right.” Barry conceded, heading for the door. “Thank you all, good night.”

He heard various calls of ‘good night’ and ‘sleep well’ as he left, letting the rocks blur as he picked up speed, running back home in the blink of an eye. As he got back home and hurried up the stairs to bed, his phone vibrated.

Bruce: Good night Allen

Barry smirked, knowing from experience that Bruce always preferred text over person to person interaction, and he was grateful that he had opened his home to so many people for his sake. Turning off the light, he crawled into bed and threw his phone onto the nightstand beside him, falling asleep quicker than he had in awhile.

~~~

Hal was woken up to the sound of muffled crying and it took him a moment to remember that he was spending the night at the hospital with Wally. Slowly sitting up, Hal looked toward the bed and saw that Wally was sitting up and pawing at his face, specifically the feeding tube in his nose. Sliding off the cot, Hal crept over to the child’s bed, making sure to keep his footsteps quiet and his voice soft so as to not rouse the entire ward.

“Hey Kiddo.” He whispered, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. In the darkness, Wally’s pale skin looked gray and bloodless, shocking Hal so much that he almost forgot about the tube until Wally tugged at it again and he was reminded. “You need to leave that tube alone, it can’t do its job when you’re pulling at it like that.”

Wally coughed, shaking his head and turning away from Hal, pulling at the tube some more. Taking a deep breath, Hal carefully wrapped his own large hand around Wally’s boney wrist, pulling his hand away from his face.

“I mean it Squirt, that needs to stay in.” Hal chided.

Wally was crying harder now, making a horrible gagging noise that reminded Hal of somebody choking and he winced, wondering if he should call a nurse. Wally gave the tube a hard tug, moving the tube a few inches and causing a line of blood to start dripping from his nose, he coughed and gagged again, his lips wet with saliva and tears.

“Wally, I told you to-”

Hal broke off as Wally leaned forward towards his pillow and threw up, jerking his wrist from his Uncle’s grasp as he convulsed. Hal stood up and hit the call nurse button, hoping that someone would get there quickly, putting a hand on Wally’s back as he threw up again, a puddle of milky white vomit collecting at the base of his pillows.

A nurse rushed in, taking a quick look at the situation before grabbing a large, rectangular container from the hall and pushing it under Wally’s face just as he hurled again.

“How long has he been feeling ill?” She asked in a no-nonsense tone.

“I don’t know.” Hal confessed, feeling awful. “I woke up and he was crying and pulling at his feeding tube, I was trying to get him to leave it alone when he started puking.”

“Alright.” She said, moving her free hand to a small black box clipped to the waistband of her scrubs. “I’m going to page Dr. Jackson.”

They didn’t have to wait long, Dr. Jackson moved surprisingly quickly for a man his age and in no time at all he was breezing into the room.

“What can I- Oh dear.” He said, jogging to the free side of the bed.

Hal greeted the doctor with a nod, rubbing his nephews back as he coughed up more off-white vomit into the bucket. The doctor looked Wally over quickly before grabbing the clipboard off the foot of the bed, scanning it over, fixating on one spot and putting his finger on it to hold its place.

“He was put on a high nutritional formula at 15 mg per kilogram per day?” He asked.

Hal was immediately lost, not knowing if the question was directed at him or not. The nurse nodded, speaking over Wally’s sobs as she answered the question.

“Yes, Dr. Curtis ordered it.” 

Tuning them out, Hal turned his attention to his child. Wally seemed to have been given a pause from throwing up and was crying, clutching at his stomach with one hand and wiping his tears with the other. Hal moved his hand from his back to his nape and ran his thumb across his neck, feeling how the skin was covered in a fine layer of sweat before kissing the top of his head.

“Bad night Baby?” He breathed. Wally gave a jerky nod, looking at his uncle with watery eyes before turning back over the bucket and throwing up again.

The three adults waited as the bout passed, Hal rubbing his nephews back while the nurse whispered quiet words of encouragement. After a moment, Hal smelled ammonia, it was clear that the doctor and nurse noticed too, and all three turned to Wally. A small, yellow stain on the white covers under him, the little boy’s face was red and he wouldn’t lift his head. The doctor winced in sympathy.

“Do you think you’re done throwing up Wally?” He asked the crying child kindly, Wally nodded, still keeping his head down. “Alright. Sally, why don’t you go get a bucket of water and some towels so our young fellow here can get cleaned up.”

The nurse, Sally, nodded, placing the bucket of puke on the table beside the bed and scurrying down the hall to retrieve what had been requested. The doctor turned his attention back to Wally as he placed the clipboard back in its place.

“Before she comes back, I’d like to remove that feeding tube the rest of the way, and we may as well take out that I.V for a moment.” He said.

Hal had to turn away as the doctor removed the tube, though he made sure to keep a steadying hand on Wally’s back throughout the process. He chanced a look back as the doctor made a noise of praise to Wally and saw him disposing of the tube as well as the little boy’s look of discomfort, a look that turned into embarrassment as the nurse came back with a bucket, a wash cloth, and two towels.

The nurse spread one towel out on the floor and lifted Wally from the bed, setting him on his feet on top of it. Hal darted forward to catch his child under the arms as his legs bucked, holding him upright while the nurse untied the strings on the gown and pulled it off, handing it to the doctor, who threw it in the trash. This left Wally completely exposed, shivering from exhaustion and the cold air. Sobbing, he buried his face in his hands and the nurse wet the wash cloth and started cleaning off his legs, rinsing off the urine and vomit.

“I know, I know, this sucks.” Hal acknowledged his embarrassed child, kissing the top of his head again. “But we need to get you cleaned up, you’ll feel better.”

Wally kept his head down and his eyes closed throughout his brief bath, tears leaking down his cheeks. When the nurse finished, she unfolded the second towel she brought and started drying the little boy off, reaching towards empty space on the floor.

“Oh Shoot!” She said. “I forgot a dressing gown.”

Seeing a small moment where he could actually be of some assistance, Hal awkwardly pulled off his shirt, careful not to drop Wally.

“He can wear this.” He suggested, holding up his old University of Coast City shirt in an offering.

The nurse looked at Hal and blushed, quickly averting her gaze while the doctor chuckled.

“I suppose he can. It’ll be warmer than the paper gown anyway, and I’m sure it’ll be comfier. Good idea.”

Happy that he had actually been able to help his nephew, Hal spun him around to face him, holding his arms above his head to guide his hands and head through the proper holes of the shirt before letting the rest of the fabric fall. The shirt was so big it fell to Wally’s knee’s, and while the neck dipped a bit, it provided far more coverage than the paper dress had, given that it had been worn by Hal for a few hours, it was nice and warm and Wally seemed to relax as that warmth enveloped him.

“Right, Mr. Jordan, if you would like to throw on a shirt, you can grab your son and follow me. I just want to check Wally over, and while we’re gone, Sally can change the sheets so he has a clean place to sleep.” Dr. Jackson proposed.

“Or you could just not put a shirt on.” Nurse Sally muttered, stealing a glance at Hal’s bare chest. “No one would complain.”

Hal chuckled, scooping Wally up and setting him on the cot he had been sleeping on while he pulled on a green sweatshirt.

“I’m flattered, really, but my husband would get jealous.” Hal teased, picking Wally back up and settling him in his arms while the nurse blushed.

Following Dr. Jackson, Hal realised that Wally had completely leaned into him. His head was rested on his shoulder, his one hand clutching the fabric of Hal’s shirt, and his eyes were nearly completely closed with his thumb resting in his mouth. Ignoring the latter for the moment, Hal kissed him on the forehead as the doctor opened the door to an examination room, holding the door so the other two could step inside before closing it again.

“Would you please set him on the table on his back?” He requested, putting on a pair of gloves.

Hal complied, gently prying Wally’s fingers from his shirt so he could rest him against the padded examination table, smiling a little when Wally tried to reach for him again and made a sleepy ‘mm’ noise.

“Just for a moment Kiddo, then I’ll hold you again.” He comforted, moving to the side to let the doctor through.

“Alright little fellow, I just need to check your tummy and then you can go back to your room and sleep, does that sound okay?” He asked, receiving a sleepy nod in response. “Excellent, I’m going to push on your tummy, let me know if something hurts.”

Hal hovered near Wally’s head as the doctor started touching Wally’s stomach over his shirt, pushing down lightly with three fingers before moving to the next part. The process repeated a few cycles before Wally grumbled in discomfort. The doctor paused, lifting his fingers to hover over that spot.

“Does that hurt?” He asked.

“It’s uncomfortable.” Wally mumbled, shifting on the table.

“But it doesn’t hurt?” The doctor clarified, and Wally nodded, turning his head to the side and closing his eyes.

The doctor stayed silent, continuing his examination, not getting interrupted by Wally again. When he finished, he pulled off his gloves, nodding to Hal who immediately scooped Wally back into his arms.

“Is he alright?” Hal asked.

“Oh yes. I think he was just overfed. His body isn’t used to having so many nutrients all at once that it couldn’t process them all, if you’ve ever had a tummy ache after a large meal, it’s similar to that. We’ll leave the feeding tube out for tonight to give his belly a chance to rest and then we’ll continue with the same formula with less feedings, he’ll be perfectly fine.” Dr. Jackson assured, holding the door open for them again as he led Hal back to Wally’s room.

“As long as he’s okay.” Hal said, kissing Wally’s forehead again.

Dr. Jackson guided them to Wally’s doorway, bidding them good night before leaving, presumably to find a place to sleep. Hal carried Wally to his bed, the sheets had been changed and there was no sign of the mess it had been before they left. Sitting on the side of it, Hal shifted Wally to the mattress and tried to get him to lay back, only for him to curl in closer to him.

“You’re warm.” Wally rasped.

“Are you cold Kiddo?” Hal asked, smiling at Wally’s antics and pleased that he was acting cuddly. 

Examining the sheets, Hal noticed that they were incredibly thin, not likely to provide much warmth. Looking around for something else to keep his nephew warm with, Hal’s eyes landed on his flight jacket draped over the back of the chair he had been sitting in earlier that day. Detangling himself from Wally, Hal quickly grabbed his jacket and returned to the bed, bundling his nephew up in it like he had when they had been coming home from the park, though this time he left his head uncovered. A happy smile died on his face when he looked the child over and noticed he was on the brink of tears again.

“Hey, are you alright, does your tummy hurt again?” Hal asked, hoping to any god listening that Wally wouldn’t get sick again, only to be confused when Wally shook his head. “What's the matter Sweetheart?”

Wally bit his lip hard to keep it from trembling, looking up at his guardian with sad eyes.

“Please don’t stop loving me!” He wailed, and then burst into tears.

Hal sat frozen for a moment, letting the words wash over him before the true weight behind them hit him.

“What?” He demanded, grabbing onto Wally’s shaking shoulders. “What one Earth are you talking about?”

“I-I-I been ba-ad, and now-now you and un-cle Barry-y don’t lo-love me anymore!” He choked

“Oh baby.” Hal whispered, pulling him into a tight hug. “Of course we still love you.”

Wally gripped his shirt tight, sobbing hard into his shoulder while Hal rubbed his back.

“I-I’m sorry.” Wally apologized, his voice muffled from the sweatshirt. “I’m sorry I’ve been bad!”

“No, you haven’t been. And even if you had, we would still love you, love isn’t a reward for good behaviour.” Hal said firmly, tightening his grip.

Wally stayed in his embrace for a few moments before pulling back.

“Are you and Barry getting rid of me?” He asked and Hal felt his heart shatter and pierce his ribs.

“Oh god, no! No! Of course we aren’t getting rid of you.” Hal said, letting a few of his own tears fall. “God, even just the thought of losing you is making me cry.”

“But I hurt you.” Wally argued, looking at Hal’s covered arms, clearly talking about the scratches he had left while trying to escape from the MRI machine. “I hurt you, and I’m bad and nobody loves bad kids! I’m bad, I’m a bad kid!”

Hal pulled Wally back against his chest as he dissolved into hysterics, rubbing his back while holding him as tightly as he could without breaking him.

“I-I’m sorry! I know I’ve been bad, but I was trying to be good today!” He sobbed. “But they put me to sleep earlier and I didn’t want you to be gone, and then I was gonna be good for the rest of the day, I promise! Even when they put me in the loud machine I was trying really hard, honest, but it made the crashing sound and it was really loud and I got really scared, cause it was loud right in my ears and it wouldn’t stop! And I just wanted to leave and you were gonna put me back in, but it was really loud and-”

Wally choked, crying too hard to continue his ramble. He curled up in Hal’s arms, letting the adult hold him and comfort him, Hal put a hand in his hair, running his fingers through his tangled red locks.

“I know baby, I know. That was our fault Sweetie, Barry and I should have had the doctor explain what was going to happen and why the plan had changed rather than just putting you to sleep.” He whispered. “And we should have realised how scary the MRI machine was and requested that the doctor give you something to help you relax before you even went in instead of after it got to be too much. That’s on us Love, we’re supposed to be incharge of that stuff, not you.”

Wally didn’t stop crying and Hal was worried he was going to make himself pass out. Fishing in the jacket pocket for his phone, Hal sent a quick text to Oliver.

‘How do I calm a kid down when he’s hyperventilating’

Turning his attention back to Wally, Hal prayed for a quick response and wasn’t disappointed.

‘Get his arms above his head and make sure his airways are clear. Get him on your lap and put his elbows on your shoulders, count him through.’

Grateful for the clear instructions, Hal shifted and pulled Wally into his lap so the little boy was facing him. Wally was a little too short to be able to rest his elbows on Hal’s shoulders, but Hal had him wrap his arms around his neck and hoped it would do the same thing, figuring that it worked because Wally started to breathe a little deeper.

“Good boy, I’m really proud of you.” Hal praised. “We’re gonna take nice deep breaths okay?”

When the redhead nodded, Hal started by counting to five while Wally inhaled, and to five again while he exhaled, letting him get comfortable with one time before raising it. As Wally calmed down, he started to get sleepy, resting his forehead against Hal’s chest. With a smile, Hal grabbed his phone.

‘Thnx man, he’s all sleepy now’

Hal dropped the phone back on the bed and kept cuddling with his nephew, using one hand to answer when the phone lit up.

‘Don’t let him go to sleep!’ 

‘It isn’t good for him to go to sleep right after getting that worked up, make him stay awake for at least 5 mins.’

Confused as to why that was a rule but not willing to argue with the closest thing he had to an expert, Hal nudged Wally to wake him up.

“Hey baby, I know you’re tired but can you just stay awake with me for a few minutes?” He asked, getting a tired nod.

“Thank you.” He said, figuring the best way to keep Wally awake was to keep him talking.

“It started snowing the other day, do you like snow?” He inquired.

“Itsal right.” Wally slurred.

“Yeah, what’s your favourite thing about snow?”

“I like snowmen.” Wally murmured, tugging Hal’s jacket tighter around himself.

“Do you? We should make some in the yard when you get home then, does that sound fun?”

Wally just nodded and snuggled closer, looking like he was falling asleep again so Hal changed the topic to another light subject.

“Are you excited for the holidays?” He asked, making his nephew perk up.

“Will we see Auntie Iris” He asked.

“Yep, I know her and Barry are already making plans to have a big dinner with us three, and her, and your grandpa Joe.” Hal answered.

“Okay.” Wally responded, sounding like he was a little excited at the thought.

“What’s your favourite part about Christmas?” Hal asked, checking his phone and hoping five minutes would hurry up and pass already because his kid was tired.

“I don’t know.” Wally answered with a shrug.

It then dawned on Hal that Wally may not have had very good holiday memories and as such, didn’t have a favourite part about them.

“Well are you excited for Santa at least?”

“There’s no such thing as Santa.” Wally said matter of factly.

“What?” Hal asked. Wally lifted his head, looking at Hal.

“There is no such thing as Santa. Dad told me so, and I asked my teacher and she said the same thing.” Wally explained.

“Damn.” Hal muttered.

He had to admit, he had been terrified of the idea of becoming a parent, but one of the things he had been looking forward to was playing Santa. It was hard to swallow that he wouldn’t get to really do that with Wally, because even if they left presents labeled ‘from Santa’ under the tree, Wally would just know it was from them.

“Are you excited to decorate the tree?” He asked, getting a look of wide eyed wonderment.

“You guys get a tree?” Wally gasped.

“Oh yeah, every year.” Hal answered, feeling Wally bounce a little in his lap.

“Cool.”

Feeling somewhat accomplished, Hal checked his phone to see that five minutes had indeed passed. Inwardly cheering like he had won the olympics, Hal tried to get Wally to relax against him and go to sleep, only to realise that now his kid was wide awake.

‘Well shit, now what?’ He thought. He needed to get Wally to sleep so he could get some rest, but he wasn’t entirely sure how to do it. Deciding to stick to what he knew, he pulled Wally close and turned so he was resting against the raised back of the bed, this way he was able to lay back so that Wally was also reclined. 

From there, he tried the tricks he had heard Ollie mention or seen him use. Rubbing Wally’s back, deepening his own breaths in hope that Wally would follow suit, holding him tightly. None really seemed to have the desired effect, Wally was relaxed but he wasn’t sleeping, Hal could still feel him shifting on his chest. Figuring that Wally would fall asleep in his own time, Hal brushed his fingers through Wally’s hair to get it off his face so he could kiss him, surprised when Wally stilled completely and went lax against his chest.

“Oh! Did I just find your off switch?” Hal laughed, doing it again. “You like that, hmm?”

Wally didn’t speak, just tilted his head against Hal’s hand, making him laugh as he kept at it.

“Alright then.” He chuckled.

Keeping his fingers moving against Wally’s scalp, Hal felt him start to go dead weight in him, shifting a little to get comfy, touching his face against his uncle’s neck while snuggling into his jacket. From there, Hal only counted a matter of moments before Wally was fast asleep.

Slowly easing off playing with his hair, Hal took the time to appreciate that Wally had let his walls come down. He didn’t know if they would be up again tomorrow, but he could feel his baby’s heartbeat against his own chest and decided that he would be okay. He could hold his little boy for a while longer, he would just close his eyes for a few minutes, memorize how Wally felt in his arms. He would only close his eyes for a few moments.

Famous last words.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long guys, My sister and I went to our Dads for the first time since March and then my boss put me on eight hour shifts for a solid week with no days off. hope you enjoy.


	20. A New Dawn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry finds Hal and Wally after their emotional night

Barry hurried through the halls of the hospital, eager to see his husband and nephew, as well as relay to Hal what he Snider had said to Wally during the private interview. He was hoping that both of them would be able to come up with a solution if they just put their heads together, but they would need to work hard.

As he got into the Child’s ICU ward, Barry slowed down, noticing that he was getting a lot of strange looks from some of the hospital staff. Mostly they would look at him and giggle, a few waved playfully at him while others contained their emotions long enough to only start laughing when they were behind him. Feeling a little self conscious, he ducked into one of the public bathrooms, checking the mirror to make sure that he didn’t have something on his face and that he was wearing pants.

He didn’t find anything out of the ordinary, he was in his usual outfit of jeans and a sweater vest over a long sleeve tee shirt, his hair was combed and jelled like it always was, twisting his back, he checked to make sure that there wasn’t anything on the back of his shirt and found nothing again. He didn’t look any different than he had the last few times he had been at the hospital, so he couldn’t figure out why everyone was laughing.

Stepping back out into the hall, he continued on his way to his nephews’s room, feeling his face heat up when a few of the nurses at the nurse station smiled and giggled as he walked by. Seeing one who was on her own checking a chart, Barry approached her, politely getting her attention.

“Excuse me, sorry to bother you but, do I have something on my face?” He asked, hoping to at least get in on whatever was happening. The nurse gave him a once over and broke into a smile.

“Are you Wally West’s dad, Barry Allen?” She asked, though from her tone he guessed she already knew the answer.

“I’m his legal guardian but I’m not his dad. Is he alright?” Barry clarified.

The nurse pursed her lips to keep from smiling wider, stepping around the counter and taking Barry’s hand, guiding him through the hallway.

“We’ve all been waiting for you to show up.” She chirped, pulling him along the now familiar route. “I think you’re going to like what you find.” 

Barry opened his mouth to respond but never got the chance. The nurse pushed him through the doorway with a proud grin on her face, leaning against the hallway wall to watch his reaction. It took him a second to figure out what he was looking at, but he melted when he did.

Hal was laying in the bed against the pillows, the top of the bed was raised up so he wasn’t fully laying down, giving Barry a clear view of his face. He had Wally bundled up in his flight jacket with only the top of his head and his toes exposed, the little boy was tucked under his arms on his chest, his face nestled into Hal’s neck. His husband had a tight grip on their nephew, even in his sleep, one arm around Wally’s middle with his hand on his back while the other hand was resting on the back of his head with his fingers laced in his hair. Both of them were still asleep, and Barry slapped a hand across his mouth to not disturb them.

Ignoring the nurse, Barry tiptoed into the room and got closer to the bed. Up close, he could see that Wally’s colour was better than it had been in days, there was a healthy touch of red on his nose and cheeks. For all the times Barry had seen him asleep at the hospital, this was the first time he could honestly say he looked at rest, there was no tension on his face, he was completely lax against Hal, and though his thumb was resting in his mouth, he didn’t look too stressed out. Placing his bag down carefully on one of the chairs, he fished out his phone and got to the camera app, turning to the nurse.

“I know I’m not supposed to take pictures but can I just grab one?” He asked, desperately wanting to capture how sweet the two looked cuddling together.

“I didn’t see anything.” She replied, winking at him. “Oh! And you can get up there with them if you like.”

And then she left, shutting the door behind her. Barry took full advantage of the opportunity, making sure his flash was turned off before snapping a quick picture, saving it and sending it to Ollie.

“What I found coming into the hospital this morning!!’ 

Despite the early hour, the response came quickly.

‘What did I tell you? A hug and a nap, I’m always right!’ 

Rolling his eyes, Barry slid his phone back into his bag and grabbed the travel mug in the cupholder, filled with coffee for Hal when he woke up. Setting it on the food tray attached to the bed, Barry carefully sat on the bed beside Hal and rested his head against him, reaching across his lovers chest to brush his fingers against Wally’s covered arms. Hal shifted, tilting his head and opening his eyes, likely roused by the bed dipping as Barry shifted on it.

“Hmm, hey you.” He murmured, brushing his lips over Barry’s forehead for a clumsy kiss.

Barry smiled, sitting up to exchange a proper kiss with his husband while Hal’s arms were still around Wally and one of Barry’s was over his shoulder while the other was still resting over his chest.

“Hey yourself.” He replied, pointedly looking at his nephew. “When did this happen?”

Looking down at the boy in his arms, Hal started stroking his hair, lacing his fingers between the vibrant red locks before cupping the side of his face and running his thumb over his cheek.

“It’s a long story.” 

“We have all day.” Barry pointed out, his mind alight with theories.

Nodding, Hal lifted one arm from Wally’s back to rest over Barry’s shoulder, pulling him close and beginning his tale.

“I woke up because I heard him crying, I could see him rubbing at his face and fiddling with the feeding tube so I went over to see what was the matter. I was trying to talk with him and get him to stop pulling at the tube when he started throwing up, I hit the call nurse-”

“He threw up!” Barry interrupted.

“Yes he did, and I’ll get to why in a second.” Hal promised, continuing with his story.

“I called a nurse, who called Dr. Jackson. So for a while it was the three of us trying to help Wally, which wasn’t really hard, anyway, towards the end he had an… accident.” Hal said, hoping that Barry got the message, which he seemed to from the look on his face. 

“So when he was finished throwing up, the doctor took out the feeding tube and I.V line while the nurse went to go get some water and a washcloth to get him cleaned up. He was too shaky to stand on his own so I held him up while he got his bath, which he really didn’t enjoy. When that was done, the nurse noticed that she had forgotten a fresh gown for him to put on so I just gave him my sleep shirt and put on the hoodie.

“Dr. Jackson took us to an examination room so he could properly check Wally over while the bedsheets got changed. In his opinion, he thinks Wally was just overfed and it overwhelmed his stomach, nothing serious so he just left the tube out to give him a break and sent him to bed.

“I tried to get him to bed but he was acting all clingy and cuddly, saying I was warm. I noticed that the sheets are really thin and not likely to be great at warming someone up so I wrapped him up in my jacket when he started bawling and said ‘please don’t stop loving me.’

“He kept saying that he knew he had been bad and he was sorry and told be that he tried to be good yesterday but things kept going wrong, like getting put to sleep earlier than usual and that freaking him out, or how he tried to behave while getting an MRI but it getting too loud and he wasn't able to handle it.” Hal recounted, pausing to steady himself.

“Oh no! Oh, my poor baby.” Barry whispered, knowing with growing anger exactly why Wally thought they weren’t going to love him anymore.

“Yeah, that was rough to hear. I got him calmed down though, thanks to Ollie’s advice and his inability to sleep at a decent hour, he told me not to let him go to sleep directly after getting that worked up so I got to asking him about the holiday’s and such, and the rest is history.” Hal finished.

Nodding, Barry sighed deeply.

“I know why he thought we would stop loving him.” He whispered, not really wanting to have to spoil the feeling of love and safety with what he had learned thanks to Bruce.

“What?” Hal asked.

“I know why he thought we would stop loving him.” He repeated, louder than he had the first time. “Bruce invited me over to his place because he had information, I guess he’s got this room bugged somehow with a camera and a microphone. Yesterday when Wally had his meeting with the social service workers, one of the questions they asked him was something along the lines of ‘do you have anywhere you want to go if they don’t keep you?’ and Wally got nervous about why we wouldn’t. And rather than actually calm him down, the Wicked Witch of the Midwest just kept hinting that we wouldn’t, so Wally started crying that it was because he had been bad and instead of correcting him, Snider just let him go on thinking that we only keep him because he’s easy to deal with!”

Barry finished his rant breathless and angry, and based on how Hal’s arm tightened around him, he felt the same way. His husband pulled them both closer, shifting Wally so he was closer to Barry, not much but enough that he could touch him without having to stretch across the other man.

“How that woman became a social worker is beyond me.” Hal grumbled. “I mean, I get that in her job, she must see all kinds of horrible things, but then she should know not to go making things harder on the kids.”

Barry just nodded, resting his head back against Hal’s arm and breathed in the peace of the three of them being able to be there.

“Bruce said that he’s taken care of the custody issue, we’ll get to keep Wally.” He whispered, not wanting to be overheard by a passerby.

“What? That’s fantastic!” 

“I know, that really takes away that issue.” Barry agreed, focusing on their nephew still sleeping on his uncle’s chest while nestled in his jacket.

Hal stayed silent, feeling his nephew's weight on his chest and seeing how his husband was staring at the little boy while his fingers hovered over the surface of his jacket, as though touching Wally would shatter him. Barry had always shown affection through contact, be it hugs or and affectionate hand on someone’s back, it had been hard on him when their nephew had reacted poorly to touch, and it was clearly difficult for him to know that Wally had been hurting and he hadn’t been able to be there for him as much as he wished he could have been. Hal didn’t need to see his lover's face to know he was upset, but he did know how to fix it, adjusting his arms around the sleeping boy in his lap enough to lift him without waking him, he handed him to Barry.

“Here, you take him for a second.” He said, laying the child in his arms and immediately getting off the bed so that Barry couldn’t hand him back.

“Wait wh-Hal!” Barry sputtered, holding Wally less like a child and more like a time bomb set to go off.

“What?” Hal asked, gathering up the clean change of clothes he had brought with him. “I’m just gonna go get changed, just hang tight with him till I get back.”

“Hal I can’t!” Barry insisted.

“Why not?” He pushed, sitting on the edge of the bed.

“What if he starts to wake up?” Barry hissed, looking petrified.

Reaching across the bed, Hal cupped the back of Barry’s head and kissed him on the forehead.

“Baby, this isn’t the first time you’ve held him. You held him when he was first in the hospital, we both stayed with him when he had nightmares.” Hal comforted him, smiling when he saw his partner still didn’t look convinced. “Okay, if he starts to wake up just play with his hair, he really likes that.”

“Play with his hair?”

“Yeah, just like how I play with yours. I swear, it’s a family thing.” Hal teased, kissing his head again. “I’ll only be gone for a moment, Love, just hang tight.” 

As he pulled away, he knew Barry wasn’t fully convinced but he wasn’t actively objecting anymore, so Hal took his clothes and left.

Barry took a steadying breath, counting to ten in his head before lowering his gaze to his nephew. The boy was still curled in Hal’s jacket with his head resting on Barry’s chest. Now that he was actually holding him, he could feel his chest moving as he breathed, deep enough for it to be tangible through the leather but shallow enough to not be visible. Raising his hand, he started tracing Wally’s cheek with his fingers. Gathering his courage, Barry pressed a soft kiss to his forehead, careful not to wake him. Keeping his grip light, he adjusted Wally so that he was tucked against his neck while Barry kept peppering the crown of his head with kisses, grateful and relieved that he was finally able to be able to hold him rather than just see him.

“Barry.”

The man in question jumped, looking up to see his husband standing in the doorway.

“Are you okay?” Hal asked, shoving the clothes he had slept in back into his duffle bag.

“Of course, why?” Barry replied.

“You’re crying.”

“Am I?” 

Touching his cheeks, Barry was surprised to find them damp and he wondered exactly when he had started crying. Hal reclaimed his spot on the bed and pulled his family closer to him, kissing Wally and Barry gently.

“Sorry, I don’t know why I’m upset.” Barry apologized, wiping the tears off his face.

“It’s alright, it’s been a really rough week.” Hal comforted, settling in and getting comfortable.

“Yeah, it really has been.” He agreed, holding the little boy tighter.

“Well then, it’s a good thing we can just have today to relax, isn’t it?”

Smiling, Barry lifted his face and kissed him, tasting the leftover peppermint from the toothpaste and the chalky texture it left over his lips.

“Yeah, that sounds fantastic.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So guys, I know that I've been all over the place so thank you for you're patience. I'm going to Montreal for a girls trip so my next chapter might be a while. don't panic! I'm still writing this, I'm just gonna go get drunk for a weekend first, wish me luck.


	21. Home Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a stay in the hospital, Hal and Barry finally get to bring their nephew home. Fluff ensues.

The day had finally come to take Wally back home, nearly two weeks after he had been admitted. His hip had almost completely healed, only a small portion remained scabbed over while the rest was covered in light pink skin, the doctor was confident that it would heal completely in a week or so but they needed to keep an eye on it to make sure it didn’t open back up again. The real hold up had been Wally’s weight, the doctor had been adamant that they couldn’t release him until his weight was closer to the recommended weight which had required the feeding tube for a while and then the gradual shift back to solid foods.

“Can we go home now?”

Hal was broken out of his thoughts when Wally spoke up, since the night when he had snuggled with Hal he had been more agreeable. He was still on edge and unhappy about being there, but he wasn’t refusing to speak and more than once, Hal had come in and found him curled under Barry’s arm.

“Soon Kiddo, Barry’s just finishing up the paperwork.” Hal soothed, rubbing Wally’s back and pulling him against his side.

“And then we can go home?” He pushed eagerly.

“Well we’ll need to get you dressed first, but then yes, we can go home.” Hal agreed, feeling his nephew bounce with excitement.

Hal couldn’t blame him, hospitals were nasty places and no place for kids. Besides, Wally was easily frightened with a huge disdain for being touched by strangers and there was no shortage of that at the hospital.

The little boy stayed snuggled up against him until Barry came back in, his glowing smile enough to tell Hal they were okay to take their nephew home. Wally pulled back from Hal to look at the blond with a questioning look, grinning and wriggling when he scooped him up and kissed his face.

“Ready to go home Kiddo?” He asked, resting their foreheads together.

“Yeah!” Wally agreed. 

“Let’s get you dressed then.” Barry said, setting him back on the bed and grabbing the plastic bag with clothes they’d brought to bring him home in. 

The clothes themselves were picked because of their comfort, a gray pair of sweatpants, a blue and red striped long sleeved tee shirt, and a thick pair of red socks with Flash insignia on them. They had also brought a heavy winter coat with a pair of mittens and a hat to help keep the cold off the child, along with a pair of boots to keep his feet dry.

Wally squirmed and smiled all while Barry got him dressed and into his winter gear, rushing into his arms as soon as his boots were zipped up, getting lifted and held tight against his uncle’s torso. Hal wrapped his arm around his lover and his nephew, kissing his head as they left Wally’s hospital room for the last time and headed for the elevators, squeezing into the crowded cart and trying to keep to themselves as it moved down to the main floor. Barry and Hal had to return their I.D to the registration desk, Barry letting his husband hand his over first so that he could hand his nephew over to him and return his own pass before they were able to leave through the automatic door.

Once outside, Hal felt snowflakes land in his hair, as it was already twilight and thus getting dark, the streetlights in the parking lot were illuminating the area in a picturesque atmosphere. Wally squirmed in his arms until he was able to see his surroundings, reaching over his uncle’s shoulder to grasp at some passing snowflakes and making Hal laugh.

“Enjoying yourself?” He asked, pulling the child back down into his arms.

“Yes!” Wally chirped, a little flush already creeping across his face from the cold.

“That’s good.” Hal said, stopping as they reached the car and Barry unlocked it, getting his nephew settled into the backseat before climbing into the driver’s seat and setting off in the direction of home.

~~~~

Finally getting into the driveway felt like a breath of air for a drowning man, Hal double checked the rearview mirror to reassure himself that Wally was actually safe with them. Barry wasted no time in getting out and lifting Wally from the car to carry him into the house while the red head got excited about the growing pile of snow at the edges of the driveway from where it had been deposited from shoveling.

“Uncle Barry! Uncle Barry, can I play on the snow hills? Please?” He begged, pointing at the snow mounds with enthusiasm.

“Not tonight Baby, it’s already dark out.” Barry said regretfully, though he was quick to make a compromise. “But after breakfast tomorrow, you absolutely can.” 

Wally looked back at the snow sadly, pouting but not arguing while he was carried through the front door. His mood changed instantly as soon as the door was closed behind them and he was set down in the front entry. As soon as his outdoor apparel was off and put away, Wally started to venture further into his home, being followed into the kitchen by Barry, who immediately rushed to the stove, moving a large pot to the forefront of the stove and igniting the flame under it. 

“I’m just heating up dinner Squirt, so don’t go too far.” Barry called over his shoulder while grabbing bowls and plates from the cupboard.

Wally nodded, moving to the table when Hal took the dishes and cutlery from Barry to help him set the table, moving place-mats to the seating spots while his uncle placed the dishes down. Within minutes, Barry carried the pot over and set it down on a potholder before darting back to the kitchen and returning with the butter dish and a plate of clearly home baked bread. 

Wally was served a steaming bowl of chicken stew with a thick slice of buttered bread, waiting for the rest of the family to be served before he started eating, the only noise being the family eating. When they were done, Barry cleared his throat and looked at Wally.

“So Wally, Hal and I wanted to talk to you.” He started, “We were wondering, um, we were wondering why you didn’t tell us you were hurt.”

Wally didn’t say anything, feeling as though his heart was in his throat and keeping him silent. What had seemed like a good idea at the time now felt stupid and he didn’t want his uncle’s to be mad at him.

“Was there something we could have done? To make us more approachable? Do you need us to find a better way of making sure you’re alright?” He pressed.

Shaking his head, Wally kept his head down and avoided eye contact. Trying to will the end of the conversation, but his uncle kept pressing.

“What could we have done to make it better? Did we do something to make you feel like you couldn’t talk to us?” 

“No.” Wally whispered with his bottom lip trembling.

“What was it then Sweetheart?” Hal asked.

“I just, I didn’t want you to touch it.” He whimpered. “I didn’t want anybody to touch me. Because it hurts when they do.”

“Oh Kiddo.” Barry muttered.

Curling up in the chair, Wally waited for them to start lecturing him on how that was dumb and that he should have known better. Instead, he felt someone lift him up and settle him in their lap and cup his chin.

“Can you look at me Kiddo?” Hal asked, waiting for Wally to look at him before continuing. “Wally, this isn’t an accusation, or a criticism. We just want to know what happened this time so that we can make sure that it doesn’t happen again.”

Nodding along to Hal, Wally felt his uncle move his hand to cup the side of his face, brushing his thumb along his cheek bone.

“We aren’t mad at you Baby.” Barry promised, the legs of his chair being audibly dragged as he moved it beside his husband.

“Okay.” Wally said, his voice shaking slightly as he calmed himself down.

“Okay. When did you first notice that your cut had reopened?” Hal asked.

“The first night when we were at Roy’s place. I went to the bathroom to go get changed and scratched it by mistake.” Wally answered.

“Alright, what was your strategy for cleaning it?” 

“I was using toilet paper and soap.” Wally said.

“Were you going to tell us that you were hurt?” 

Wally froze at Hal’s question. He knew the answer, there was no way he was going to tell his uncles that he was hurt. But he couldn’t be dishonest, so he shut his eyes tight and shook his head.

“No, you weren’t?” Hal clarified, and Wally nodded.

“Okay.” Hal accepted, kissing Wally’s bowed head.

The little boy kept his head down as his holder rose from the table and handed him to his spouse, not risking even opening his eyes until he felt Barry sit down again, seeing that he was now on the couch in the living room rather than in the dining room. He could hear dishes being loaded into the dishwasher and then footsteps headed to the living room, Barry’s shifting telling him that Hal had sat down beside them. The next thing he heard was voices from the T.V, though with his head down he couldn’t see what was on, all he wanted was to get the lecture over with so that the waiting would be over.

“Wally,” Barry whispered, ducking his own head so that he was closer to Wally’s face. “Sweetheart, you aren’t in any trouble, you can look up.”

Taking a deep breath, Wally obliged, raising his gaze to find his uncle's smiling face. Barry kissed his forehead when he was able to see his nephew's eyes, keeping his touches gentle and soft to comfort him.

“There you are. I haven’t had you home in weeks, I would hate it if you felt you had to hide from us.” Barry said.

“I’m sorry.” Wally whispered.

“For what Squirt?” Hal asked, turning the volume down on the T.V to better hear his nephew.

“For not telling you I was hurt.” He replied.

Hal inhaled deeply, closing his own eyes and nodding before pulling Barry and Wally closer to him.

“Kid, we aren’t angry with you. We aren’t even upset.” Hal explained. “We just wanted to know what your plan was.”

“And if you want to talk about why you didn’t want to tell us you were hurt, we would absolutely be willing to listen. But if you’re more comfortable keeping it to yourself, then we’re happy to just have you home and know that you’re safe.” Barry added.

Wally nodded, leaning into Barry’s shoulder to cuddle. Hal stood up to grab a folded blanket on the back of the couch before sitting back down and draping it over the trio, turning the volume back up and holding his family close.

Wally didn’t look up from his uncle’s shoulder, he couldn’t care less about what was playing in the background, he was content to just enjoy being home. Everything from the smells to the sounds felt calm and familiar, he was happy to be back, happy to just rest with his uncle’s without having to worry about when they were leaving or how much time he had left with them, and with that safety and comfort surrounding him, he drifted off in Barry’s arms.

~~~

He was woken up to his name being called, blinking a few times as he pushed away the remnants of sleep. As he rubbed at his eyes, Barry started talking.

“Hey Kiddo! Sorry to wake you up but we need to get you ready for bed.” He apologized, standing up with the child balanced on his hip.

“Okay.” Wally nodded, resting his head back against Barry’s shoulder as he was carried upstairs and into the bathroom.

Barry sat him on the closed toilet seat and tugged his shirt up over his head, tossing it in the corner near the sink.

“Whatcha doing?” Wally asked, too tired to really fuss about being undressed.

“Getting you ready for a bath.” Barry answered, setting him in the tub and detaching the showerhead from it’s handle to lower it into the tub, turning on the water and waiting for it to heat up.

“I can give myself a bath.” Wally insisted, reaching for the showerhead.

“I know you can, but the doctor suggested that Hal or I help you until your hip is completely healed so that it doesn’t get infected again.” Barry explained, taking Wally’s hand and aiming the water at his wrist. “Is that too hot or cold?”

“It’s fine.” Wally replied, not arguing about being bathed even though he would rather do it himself. He didn’t want to wind up back in the hospital.

Barry worked quickly but not roughly, wetting Wally’s hair so that it could be cleaned, shampooing it twice and combing it through with conditioner before washing off his body with a soft cloth, taking extra care around his hip. Once he was rinsed off, his uncle shut off the water and wrapped him in a towel, lifting him from the tub and carefully drying him off. When he was dry, Barry left him in the towel and stood up.

“Why don’t you brush your teeth while I go get you some PJ’s?” He suggested, leaving the room when Wally nodded.

The little boy had to stand on his tippy toes to properly reach the sink, but he managed to brush his teeth just fine despite it, finishing as Barry came back in with a folded pair of pajamas. His guardian first helped him step into his pajama bottoms, tying the strings in a bow so they would stay up, and then buttoned up his shirt for him, kissing him on the nose and picking him up once he was done.

“There we go. Hal has your medicine waiting for you in your room, and then you can sleep Baby.” Barry murmured. 

Sure enough, Hal was waiting in Wally’s room with one of the smallest cups filled halfway with water and a small white pill. He handed them both to Wally as his husband set the child on the bed, making sure he swallowed the pill before reclaiming the cup.

“Good boy.” Hal praised, kissing Wally’s crown and getting him laid back and tucked in. “That will make you sleepy, so you shouldn’t have any difficulty resting tonight.”

Wally didn’t doubt it. Already he could feel the pull of the drug making his eyes feel heavy, he managed to stay awake until his uncles were at the door before he drifted off, aided by the pill and the comfort of his own bed.

Barry and Hal watched from the doorway as their nephew fell asleep, waiting a few moments to make sure he was truly out before reentering the room and kneeling beside his bed. Hal kissed Wally’s forehead, whispering a wish for sweet dreams before stepping back to let Barry have his turn. The blond cupping Wally’s face with both of his hands and resting their foreheads together for a moment before he also kissed him.

“Good night Sweetheart.” He whispered. “We love you.”

“Very, very much.” Hal agreed.

The pair left the room, pulling the door until it was only open a few inches, and headed to their room, leaving the newly returned child to rest in his own bed. The only light being a sliver from the hallway and a patch from the window illuminating his face as the moon's glow reflected off the snow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ya'll, I am back from Montreal! It was fun, don't worry! I didn't forget about you all. I know this isn't the longest chapter but I hope I made up for it by making it mostly comfort rather than angst like the last five-ish chapters have been. Love you all and I love hearing from you.


	22. Meetings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry and Hal attend their first league meeting since Wally's come to live with them.

Hal swayed along with Barry in the kitchen, feeling his partner’s breath on his neck. They were finally able to resume their morning routine properly now that they weren’t feeling rushed to get Hal off to work and Barry off to the hospital. He was inwardly waiting for the feeling of being watched to come over him, thinking it funny how it had used to annoy him and now he couldn’t wait to have his little shadow following him again.

“What are you waiting for?” Barry asked, feeling his apprehension.

“Our audience.” Hal answered.

Barry just hummed, leaning in closer and nuzzling into his husband’s neck, tickling Hal’s skin with his breaths. 

“He didn’t come visit us last night.” Hal tacked on.

“I’m not surprised, those pills are pretty strong.” Barry murmured. “I don’t know when they’ll wear off so we might not get our little guest back until his prescription runs out.” 

“That would be unfortunate, I really like having him around.” Hal pouted.

“He’s not gone!” Barry laughed, smacking him lightly on the arm. 

“Yeah, I know.” Hal agreed, laughing along with Barry.

For a moment they were silent, just enjoying each other's company and contact. Hal was still hoping for the feeling of being watched to wash over him when Barry broke his train of thoughts.

“We’re going to the league meeting tomorrow night, right?” He asked.

“As long as Iris is still good to come spend the evening with Wally.” Hal confirmed.

The blond nodded, letting Hal push him back so he could kiss him, his partner tasted like coffee and peppermint, familiar and comforting after so many years. 

“Yes, she is.” Barry said as they broke apart.

“Then we’re good to go.” He said. “And until then, I’ll see you tonight.” 

Hal kissed him again, hastily this time as they moved to the foyer so the pilot could lace up his boots and leave. Barry hung off to the side while his lover got ready to go, keeping an eye on the stairs to see if there was movement on the upper level, dragging his attention back to Hal when the other man encompassed his face with his hands, turning his face towards him and kissing him a third time.

“I love you.” Hal told him.

“I love you too.” Barry promised. “I hope you have a good day.”

“I will.” Hal said, heading out the door. “Tell Wally I love him when he wakes up.”

“Of course I will.” 

Barry stayed leaning out the front door until Hal got into his car before going back inside, rubbing his hands over his arms from the cold. It was getting to that time when school kids would be turning on the radio to hear whether school school was cancelled or not, they were known to get winter storms that could keep the kids out of schools for days at a time. He was looking forward to listening to the news for closures with Wally when they sent him to school in the new year, providing the doctor gave them the clear.

Darting up the stairs, Barry headed to Wally’s room and knocked lightly on the door, only peeking in when he was sure he wasn’t going to get a response. Wally’s blinds weren’t fully closed, leaving a gap large enough to place a spotlight of sorts on the bed he was sleeping on. The blankets were pulled all the way up to his chin, the red striped sheet and handmade comforter creating a little nest for him. Barry knelt beside the bed, pulling the covers back a little so he could get a better look at his nephews sleeping face. He brushed his fingers over his cheeks, freezing when Wally shifted and hummed in his sleep, when he didn’t wake up, Barry tucked him back in and kissed him on the forehead, getting up and leaving the room.

Knowing that Wally was alright certainly put his mind at ease, even if he wasn’t awake just yet. As he headed downstairs, Barry realized just how hungry he was. He would normally wait for Wally to be up before making breakfast, but he was still in a deep slumber, and besides, he could make more later when the little boy woke up.

~~~~

Wally woke up before he opened his eyes, burying his nose deeper into the pillow so he didn’t have to endure the chemical smell of the hospital. He was used to the new routine of staying still and pretending to be asleep until one of the nurses came and started changing the I.V bag, only ‘waking up’ then because it meant that Uncle Barry would be arriving soon. As he shifted to get comfy, he noticed that his bed felt different, warmer, with heavier sheets and a softer pillow, he also noticed that the room didn’t smell as offensive as it usually did and he drew the conclusion that he had been moved. 

Opening his eyes, Wally almost gasped aloud at his surroundings, seeing his room in his Uncle's house rather than a hospital room and remembered that he had been brought home the previous evening. Tossing back his covers, he didn’t even take the time to get dressed before leaving the room and heading downstairs to the kitchen, searching for his uncle.

~~~~

Barry looked up when he heard something at the doorway. He had been sitting at the table with a cup of tea and his phone, reading a recent study out of Harvard after finishing his breakfast while he waited for Wally to wake up. Looking up, he saw the redhead in question and nearly burst out laughing.

Wally looked like he was still half asleep, his hair tousled and messy while he was still in his pajamas. He was rubbing at his eyes in an attempt to wake himself up while he looked around the room, either actively looking for something or just taking in his surroundings. Setting his phone down on the table, Barry got up to go greet the little boy, kneeling in front of him.

“Good morning Sweetheart.” He greeted with a smile.

“Good morning.” Wally returned, stepping forward hesitantly for a hug. Barry happily obliged, lifting him up so he could carry him around.

“Did you have a nice rest?” Barry asked.

Wally didn’t say anything, he just nodded and rested his head against Barry’s shoulder. His uncle respected it, understanding that he might not be incredibly talkative after just waking up and instead kissed his forehead.

“Are you hungry?” He asked quietly.

Wally thought for a moment before shrugging, not particularly bothered either way whether he ate or not. 

“Okay, do you think you could eat a little bit of berries?”

“Alright.” He agreed.

Barry set to work making the simple breakfast with Wally still on his hip, when he had finished, he set the bowl down on the placemat he had used and settled Wally in the chair, taking the one next to him to wait for him to finish. After a slow start, Wally finished his breakfast, taking his dish to the kitchen and putting it into the dishwasher, then heading over to Barry and resting his hands on his uncle’s knees.

“Can I go play on the snow hills now?” He asked, bouncing on his toes.

Barry smiled at him, taking a moment to enjoy how happy and relaxed Wally looked.

“Go brush your teeth and get dressed first.” He said.

Wally pumped his fist and ran off upstairs, Barry smiling and laughing to himself while he started getting his own boots and coat on. His nephew reappeared a moment later with warm clothes on, eager to go play outside, rambling to Barry about what he wanted to do as the older man helped him get his outdoor gear on, following him out into the yard.

~~~~

Hal parked his car in the driveway, happy to be home after a long day at work. As he got out of his car, he could have sworn he heard a giggle drifting on the wind as well as a red pompom poking out from behind one of the snow banks near the front walk, and suspected he was about to be ambushed. Biting back a smile and bracing himself to act surprised, he continued down the walkway until he heard what was obviously a battlecry and a snowball hit him in the shoulder.

Wally had jumped up from behind the snow hill and had thrown the projectile at him, Barry beside him, smiling. Hal laughed and shouted, raising his arms to keep flying snow off his face, when he had a moment’s pause, he rushed over to them, darting behind Barry and grabbing him, spinning him to press his back against his chest and effectively making him a human shield.

“Get him Wally, Get him!” He encouraged the child while Barry squirmed against him. 

Wally shook his head, rushing them and pushing at Hal’s legs, grabbing his arm and pulling. His uncle played along, loosening his grip on his husband enough for the blond to get away from him. From there, he turned his attention to Wally, grabbing him and lifting him into the air, Wally squealed and wriggled while Hal lifted him above his head and threw him into the snow bank, making Barry gasp behind him.

“Oh my gosh, Hal!” Barry gasped as Wally disappeared into the snow. 

“What?” Hal asked, gesturing to the little boy as he stood up and climbed out of the hole he had created when he landed. “He’s fine!”

Barry still looked frazzled and worried so Hal scooped Wally up as soon as he was in reach. His hair was wet from melted snow and his cheeks and the tip of his nose were bright red from the cold, but he was grinning from ear to ear so he was clearly still having a fun time.

“Ya all good, Squirt?” Hal asked.

“Yeah!” Wally replied, nodding vigorously. “Do that again!”

“Absolutely not!” Barry scolded, shooting Hal a look that could stop Captain Cold dead in his tracks.

“Aww, please Uncle Barry?” Wally begged.

“Yeah, please Barry?” Hal echoed, giving him a smile.

“No, we just got you out of the hospital, we don’t need you going back in.” He said firmly.

Wally immediately froze at the word ‘hospital’ and gripped Hal’s coat with determination, shaking his head.

“No. I don’t want to go back to the hospital.” He said.

Barry softened, slowly bridging the gap between himself and the other two in the yard, lifting his hand to caress Wally’s cheek.

“I know you don’t,” He whispered. “I know you don’t. I don’t want you to either, that’s why we’re not going to throw you in anymore snow banks.”

He said the last bit while looking at Hal. The pilot just nodded and kissed Wally’s head, holding his free arm out to welcome Barry into the embrace.

“You heard him kiddo, I can’t throw you anymore.” Hal told Wally, kissing his forehead and bouncing him on his hip.

“Okay.” Wally agreed, grudgingly.

Barry smiled and ruffled his hair.

“I’m going to go start warming up dinner. Wally, why don’t you go show Hal the snowmen we made?” Barry suggested, making Wally perk up and start squirming as Hal put him down.

“Come this way!” Wally begged, tugging Hal’s hand and pulled him around the side of the house, his uncle following without fuss.

Barry watched them until they disappeared behind the house, then went into the house and started working on dinner.

~~~~

Hal waved goodbye to Iris and Wally as he and Barry left for the league meeting, of course, Wally didn’t know it was a league meeting, he had been told they had a meeting with the bank. As such, they were going to drive the car off to the supermarket and then go to the mountain from there. It wasn’t convenient, but it was necessary to keep him from knowing who his uncle’s were. 

As they got to the grocery store and parked in a secluded spot behind the store, Hal got out with Barry and locked the car while his partner got into his cowl. The blond rolled his shoulders and grinned widely.

“Oh, I’ve missed this!” Barry said.

Hal powered up his own suit, willing himself a few feet in the air as he got ready to fly to Happy Harbour for the league meeting. Barry waved at him and then darted away, stirring up the miscellaneous trash littered around the parking lot.

“Alright, guess we’re racing.” Hal muttered to himself, lifting up higher in the air and flying off into the horizon.

With the power of his ring, the flight didn’t take long, though he still lagged behind Barry to a near laughable degree. His husband had waited for him outside of the entrance, leaning against the side of the mountain with his phone in his hand, Hal landed beside him and rested his chin on his shoulder to see the screen. His partner was texting his sister, the last message was just Iris wishing them a nice evening, Barry turned off his phone and slipped it into a hidden pocket in his suit.

“Ready to go in?” He asked.

“Yeah, lead the way.” Hal answered, grabbing Barry’s hand as the pair made their way past the hidden entrance and into the front cavern of the cave.

Arthur was in the cavern already, still wet from the ocean. As soon as he heard the pair come in, he turned and grinned, dragging Barry into a hug. Hal heard Barry grunt as his hand was pulled away from Hal’s, and he could see how tightly his friend was squeezing his husband. When he was released, Barry staggered back and took a few deep breaths.

“Good to see you too Buddy.” Barry rasped while Hal was subjected to the same treatment, though his power ring absorbed most of the force so he wasn’t left as breathless.

“God I’ve missed you two.” Arthur said, the three of them making their way to the conference room.

“We’ve missed you too.” Barry said.

“How’s your boy doing? I know that he was back in the hospital for a while and I heard through Dinah that he’s back home, is he doing alright?” The King of the ocean asked, genuine concern adjoining his features.

“He’s doing better, still a way to go but he’s doing better.” Hal answered.

“How about you? I heard you got a trainee, how’s he doing?” Barry inquired, making the Atlantean cup the back of his neck.

“He’s doing very well, he’s a very intelligent young man. He’s a quick study and very polite, I’m quite proud to be teaching him.” He relayed, a tinge of pride barely concealed in his tone.

Barry glanced over at Hal and raised his eyebrow, clearly biting back a grin. It was very clear that Arthur was holding back on his praise of the young man he was taking under his wing.

“I’m glad to hear that Arthur.” Barry smiled, the conversation ended as they entered the conference room and took their seats around the table, Barry and Hal waving and nodding greetings to their fellow league members.

As soon as they were seated, the holoscreen lit up and showed the itinerary of their talk points for the meeting, the first one being highlighted by the computer as Clark stood up and started on the point.

“Our first order of business is our data bank in the arctic. It needs to be updated and we need to do a security check next week.” He started, pausing while pictures of the computer and it’s hiding place flashed on the screen. “Because of the delicate nature of the mission, we’re going to need air support, ground support, and water support. Arthur, we were hoping you could provide water support and security, Tornado and I have agreed to take air security together. Batman is going to take the jet to go do the actual update, he’s going to need two people with him.”

Oliver leaned over to Dinah, the two engaging in a hushed conversation for a moment before they both sat up.

“I can go.” Ollie volunteered.

“Thank you Oliver. We still need one other person to go.” Clark thanked him, looking around for another volunteer.

Wonder Woman raised her hand, drawing Clarks attention over to her. “I’ll go.”

“Excellent, that should cover us perfectly.” Clark said, looking confident in the attendance for the upcoming mission when Arthur put up his hand.

“I’m good to provide assistance from the water, but may I bring my trainee? I’ve been hoping to get him more experience on the surface and this sounds like the perfect first step.” 

Clark frowned a little, looking to Batman, who just shrugged.

“This is a fairly routine operation, as long as he doesn’t get himself into trouble, I don’t have a problem with it.” Bruce allowed.

“Perfect, thank you.” Arthur thanked, looking satisfied.

The meeting continued, Hal finding Barry’s hand under the table and holding it for the remainder of the duration.

~~~~

After the meeting, when the holoscreen had disappeared, the group retired the formality they had held during the meeting, Bruce going so far as to lower his cowl. Ollie was swift to jump on the ball, bringing up the annual gathering for new years.

“So, Dinah and I were hoping to host our new year’s party this year, obviously everyone is invited.” He announced, bouncing slightly in his seat.

Everyone nodded and murmured in agreement and excitement, though Hal felt a sliver of disappointment, knowing a large gathering with people drinking wasn’t a great situation to put Wally in. Ollie looked to Hal and Barry with a hopeful look.

“Are you two good to come?” He asked.

“I don’t know Ollie, we can’t just ditch Wally for a week so we can go party.” Barry winced.

“Well you would obviously bring him with you, he’s got an open invitation.” Dinah said, smiling.

Hal and Barry looked at eachother with uncertainty.

“I know, and we appreciate it. But I’m not really sure that a loud gathering of drunk adults is a great environment to put our nephew in, especially when he’s still so skittish.” Hal reasoned.

“No, I’m aware. But we can drink without getting drunk and we all know that Wally’s going to be nervous so we can adjust accordingly. We all know that Wally doesn’t know who you are, so we wouldn’t discuss the league.” Dinah listed off. “And I know that you want him to meet us, this would be the perfect opportunity.”

Hal squeezed his husband’s hand, letting him know that he was with him.

“We’ll talk about it.” He compromised. 

The group accepted the agreement and broke off into smaller gatherings and started their own conversations. Hal kissed Barry’s hand gently and left to go join Oliver and Dinah in their little gaggle while Diana claimed the vacated seat.

“Hey Diana, how’s life treating you?” Barry greeted her.

“Hello my friend, I am well. How have you fared?” 

“Can’t complain.” Barry answered.

“Your boy, I heard he’s back in your home, how is he doing?” Diana asked, her head rested on her hand.

“He is, we brought him home two days ago, he’s doing much better now.” Barry told her, making her smile.

“You and Hal must be very proud of him.” She said. “May I see him?”

“Of course!” Barry agreed, taking his phone out and getting to his gallery, showing her the picture he had taken of Wally and Hal sleeping together in the hospital bed. “And yes, we are very proud of him.”

Diana took the phone from him, smiling down at what it displayed with a soft look in her eyes. Barry reached over and swiped to the next photo, one he had taken of Wally next to the snowmen they had made the previous day, Diana letting out a little gasp of shock.

“Oh, he’s very small!” She exclaimed.

“Yes, he is. He’s been malnourished for the majority of his life, so he is quite small for his age.” Barry relayed, feeling the mood dip a little.

“Will he stay that way?” Diana asked, letting a note of anger slip into her voice.

“He shouldn’t, the doctor we spoke to is confident that with proper nutrition and rest he should catch up to other kids.” Barry said.

“That’s good. I was so sorry to hear that anyone could hurt something so innocent.” She growled.

Diana, along with the rest of the league, knew of what Wally had suffered at the hands of his father, and had a reserve of righteous anger directed at Barry’s adopted brother. The entire group had been incredibly supportive of them, although the couple had been offered a hitman on more than one occasion.

“I know, me too. But he’ll be going to prison for a very long time for the things he did.” Barry amended.

“Well I’m glad to hear it. And if you don’t like the verdict, let me know. I’ll turn him over to my sisters, they’ll take care of him.” Diana offered, smiling like a shark smelling blood and Barry was reminded that she was far more powerful than him.

“I appreciate the offer Diana, I’ll keep it in mind.” He promised, grateful for the support.

“Anytime me friend. I must be going, but I look forward to meeting your boy, whenever and however you feel he’s ready. I know you two will make the best decision for your child.” Diana said, embracing Barry in a one arm embrace before leaving the room.

Not long after, Hal came back to reclaim his seat, kissing his cheek.

“Ready to go Love?” He asked, raising with his husband and bidding their friends goodnight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the radio silence, I've been very busy with school starting back up soon and work getting hectic. I am still working on this story. Love you all lots.


	23. Furry friends

Barry tramped through the snow behind Wally in the yard, his nephew had been insistent that they go to check on their snowmen that they had made yesterday to make sure they were alright. While the little boy had raced ahead to go see, Barry had taken his time to look at the animal prints in the snow, seeing squirrel and bird prints as well as what appeared to be cat paw prints. 

He wasn’t too worried about Wally being out of his sight, their street was quiet enough that he could still hear him, and he had run off away from the road so he wasn’t worried about him running into the street. Due to how quiet it was, he could also hear barking off in the distance, one of the neighbourhood dogs enjoying the snow nearby.

“Uncle Barry!”

Barry snapped out of his daze when he heard Wally call him, he had run back to the older man and latched onto his hand, pulling him towards something.

“What’s up kiddo?” Barry asked.

Wally didn’t seem overly distressed, he was moving just fine and he wasn’t crying, so Barry suspected that whatever he was about to be shown wouldn’t be too shocking.

Wally led him to their snowmen, they had built three yesterday. Two big snowmen and a little snowman, all three having been decorated with sticks, rocks and carrot noses. When Barry turned the corner of the yard, he saw that the little snowman had been knocked over and the nose of one of the bigger ones had been stolen.

“Someone knocked over our snowman!” Wally told him earnestly.

Barry approached the snowman with the missing nose, crouching down to look at it’s base. There were big pawprints on the lower snowball and on the ground around it, as well as leading off into the evergreen bushes in the garden.

“Not someone.” He corrected, following the prints towards the garden, keeping Wally in his peripheral vision.

One of the bushes ruffled and Barry grinned, letting out a low whistle. The bush exploded, a blur of white and brown fur darting past him with a carrot sticking out of its mouth. Barry laughed while a big St. Bernard bounced around the yard, putting the carrot down long enough to bark at him before picking it back up.

“Figured it was you.” Barry exclaimed, crouching down again and whistling, beckoning the dog to come closer to him. “Strudel! Come’ere girl, Strudel!”

Strudel barked again, leaping through the snow to jump on Barry, her huge paws leaving snow on his pants. Barry hooked his thumb through her collar, raising his free hand up like he had a treat to get her to sit. Looking over at Wally, he gestured down at the dog.

“Found our carrot thief.” He joked

Strudel barked around the carrot, a line of drool dripping down her chops and into the snow, staining it orange. 

“Make her give it back.” He demanded, giving the dog a wary look.

Barry clicked his tongue again, holding his hand out under the dog’s mouth.

“Drop it.” He asked.

Strudel dropped the slobbery carrot nub into his open palm, her pink tongue lolling out of her mouth giving her the appearance of smiling. Barry laughed and dropped the remainder of the vegetable into the snow, wiping his hand on his pants to rid it of the slobber.

“I think we should let her keep it Kiddo, there isn’t a whole lot left to work with.” Barry told Wally.

The little boy pouted, crossing his arms sullenly and glaring at Strudel.

“Why’d she have to eat our carrot? Why couldn’t she go eat something else?” He asked.

“She’s just a dog Squirt. She doesn’t understand that it was a carrot we were using.” Barry explained patiently, watching Strudel pick the carrot back up. “She’s just a puppy, she doesn’t know much better.”

“She doesn’t look like a puppy.” Wally observed.

Barry had to admit that he was right; Strudel didn’t look too much like a puppy. But he knew her owner and remembered that she was a little less than a year old, her breed was larger than an average dog and that gave her the illusion that she was older than she actually was. If he had to guess, Barry would say that Strudel probably outweighed Wally, and when she jumped around and barked she could be intimidating, but he happened to know that she was very friendly and a gentle giant and that this could be a good teaching opportunity for Wally.

“She’s a bit overgrown, but she hasn’t quite grown into her paws yet.” He agreed, readjusting his hold on her incase she started jumping. “Come over and meet her Wally, she’s very friendly.”

“What if she jumps on me?” Wally asked, taking a few tentative steps closer, making Strudel wiggle.

“She can’t, I’ve got her collar.” Barry promised, holding his free hand out to Wally, guiding his nephew within reach of the dog.

Strudel started to squirm as soon as Wally got close, making him lean away from her a bit. Barry gently took his hand and guided it close to Studels nose so she could smell it.

“Let her smell your hand, so she knows if she can trust you.” He instructed.

“How does she know if she can trust me by my smell?” Wally asked while Strudel pressed her big, wet nose into his palm, licking at his fingers and making him smile.

“Dogs can just tell.” Barry answered, giving Wally and Strudel time to get used to each other before advancing to the next step. “You can pet her if you want.”

Wally slowly moved his hand up to her large head, giving the fur between her ears a few short strokes before burying his fingers in it and scratching. Strudels tail was going wild, clearing a patch of grass in the otherwise snowy yard, her tongue hanging out of her mouth.

“Rub her ears Wally.” Barry advised.

Wally moved his hand sideways, scratching at the base of her ears while side-eyeing Barry quizzically. Strudel let out a happy groan and flopped over, rolling onto her back to expose her white belly, her tongue falling close to the ground. Wally scambered back a few steps, not really expecting her to suddenly fall down.

“Why did she do that?” He demanded.

“She wants you to rub her belly, like this.”

Barry had let go of her collar when she laid down so he used both his hands to demonstrate, running his hands along her stomach. After a moment of watching, Wally crouched down and copied him, smiling at the big animal, any fears he had previously had about her clearly gone.

Barry let them continue for a while, wanting Wally to get used to dogs as there were plenty in the neighbourhood, and he wasn’t sure if he had been socialised with them at his parents house. He let them play together for a few minutes before standing up, brushing the snow off his pants.

“Ready to take her home Kiddo?” He asked.

Wally twisted to look at him, Strudel rolling onto her side when he moved so suddenly, making a ‘borf’ noise.

“Can’t we keep her?” He asked, giving Barry puppy dog eyes and making the older man chuckle.

“No, sorry Kid, she has a family she needs to get back to.” He said.

“We could keep her anyway.” Wally suggested.

“Well that is petnapping, and it’s illegal.” Barry informed him, clapping his hands together to summon Strudel towards him, latching onto her collar again.

Wally nodded, putting a hand on her back and trailing after his uncle while they made their way down the sidewalk. 

They didn’t have to go far, just a few houses down to a house very similar to theirs, but with a fenced backyard. Barry guided Strudel up the steps to the front door and knocked, waiting for the owner to come answer the door.

While they were waiting, a large black and white cat hopped out from the garden beside the front porch and started winding around Wally’s legs. The redhead sat down on the steps, running his hand down the length of the animal as it got into his lap, putting its front paws on his shoulder and brushing it’s cheek along Wally’s chin, purring all the while.

The front door opened and a woman with strawberry blonde hair poked her head out the door.

“Hello?” She asked, only to break into a smile when she saw Barry.

“Oh Barry! Hey, how are you?” She exclaimed, opening the door wider and giving Barry a quick hug.

“I’m good Mel, how’re you?” Barry responded politely, returning her embrace.

“I’m great! What brings you by?” She asked, toying with a large pair of headphones around her neck.

“Ahh well, I found something of yours lurking around my place and figured you and Sam would want her back.” Barry explained, drawing her attention to Strudel.

“Oh Strudel!” Mel laughed, kneeling down and opening her arms. Strudel instantly left Barry’s side and rushed over to her person, getting her ears ruffled. “Were you out terrorizing the neighbourhood again?”

“Just munching on snowmen, nothing too sinister.” Barry assured her.

Mel smiled apologetically, shooing the dog further into the house and standing up straight.

“Sorry about that, there’s a hole under the fence in the backyard. I keep filling it up, but she’s figured out how to dig.” She explained, looking around Barry at Wally and the cat on the steps. “I see you’ve met Cookie.”

Wally looked over at the adults, pausing his petting and making the cat meow a complaint at him.

“His name is Cookie?” Wally clarified, resuming petting the cat.

“Yeah, my husband works at his family’s bakery, all our pets are named after desserts.” She explained.

While she was talking, a Golden Retriever walked up behind her with a tennis ball in it’s mouth, swaying with excitement when it saw the company. Mel noticed when the dog brushed past her, moseying over to Wally with a derpy look on its face, dropping the ball beside him and looking at him expectantly.

“That’s Toffee, don’t worry he’s very friendly.” Mel said.

Wally started to pet him, rubbing the base of his ears like he had done with Strudel. Toffee laid down and rested his head on Wally’s lap, pushing cookie over to the side and making him meow at him. Mel smiled at the scene and stood to the side, gesturing into the house.

“Would you two like to come in?” She invited.

“Maybe another time Mel, I gotta feed the kid breakfast.”Barry said.

“Okay, stop by anytime, I’m always here. And thanks again for bringing Strudel home.”

“Anytime! Come on Squirt, let’s head home.” Barry said, tapping Wally’s shoulder to get his attention.

Mel called Toffee into the house before stepping out onto the front porch, balancing on her tippy toes to avoid getting her socks to wet from the snow. She stooped to scoop Cookie up, making the cat wave at them while they headed down the walk way and onto the sidewalk before going back into her house.

Barry kept a hand on Wally’s back all the way home, guiding him up the front steps of their own stoop and into the house, helping Wally with his boots before getting his own off. He had just finished hanging their coats up in the closet when his phone started to buzz, pulling it out of his pocket, he read the caller I.D, seeing Joans name displayed on the screen.

“Go wait for me in the kitchen Wally, I just need to take this upstairs.” Barry instructed, ushering his little boy further into the house before taking the stairs two at a time and pressing the ‘accept call’ button.

“Hello.” He greeted, turning into his room and closing the door.

“Hello! Barry, Dear, it’s been a while, how are you?” Joan responded, her voice carrying the familiar grandmotherly tone it always did.

“I’m doing well Joan, how are you? Jay still giving you trouble?” He returned, taking a seat on the edge of his bed.

“Oh yes, he always is. But we’re both healthy and happy and that’s really all you can ask for.” Joan said.

“Any way Dear, the reason I’m calling, I was wondering if you and Hal were interested in a get together for the holidays. Jay’s been talking about making some cider donuts, maybe skating on the pond, damn things already frozen over.” She inquired.

“Umm, I don’t know Joan. Keystones a long drive.” Barry said, running his fingers through his hair.

“Well run it Silly.” Joan laughed.

“I can’t.”

“Why not?” She asked, sounding worried. “Your powers aren’t acting up, are they? How long have they been screwy? Did you get sick? I’ll send Jay over if you need help-”

“Joan!” Barry interrupted, cutting her off. “I can’t run because we would have to bring Wally, my powers are fine.”

There was silence on the other end of the line and for a moment Barry worried that he might have broken her when he heard her laugh a little.

“Oh my goodness! Right, I forgot you and Hal weren’t telling your son about your powers. How silly of me.” She remembered, sounding much calmer. “Okay, so what if we came to you? We would run so you don’t have to reveal yourself.”

“How would we explain to Wally how you got here without a car?” Barry asked.

“If you or Hal would meet us somewhere with a car, we’ll just tell him we took the train. Used to work for Jay and I all the time back in the day. We would ask someone to pick us up from the train station and pretend we had just gotten off.” She explained, Barry nodding along with her.

“That would work. Let me talk to Hal about it, we’ve been planning a dinner at our place with Joe and Iris, if you’d like to join us then.” He offered, making a mental note to talk to Hal when he came home.

“Oh that sounds lovely! I haven’t seen Joe in ages, it’ll be nice to catch up. And yes, no rush Dear, we have plenty of time to plan it out.” She assured him. “I really just can’t wait to meet my new grandson, those pictures you sent us were lovely but I’d love to meet him in person!”

“He’s still really nervous around new people Joan, he might not be as friendly as you're hoping he will be.” Barry warned, knowing a strange woman grabbing at him wouldn’t be something that Wally would be excited about.

“Oh that’s alright. My mother and I used to take in dogs that had been kicked a few to many times, I know you can’t just grab their face right off the hop. And Jay and his buddy Mike, who runs a little horse sanctuary here, see so many poor animals, we both know how to be respectful.” Joan reassured him, talking at a speed that rivalled his own.

Barry nodded to himself, deciding to ignore the fact that his eight year old was quite a bit different than a dog or horse. What mattered was that both of them would be prepared and understanding if Wally wasn’t really interested in cuddling on their laps.

“Alright, as long as you’re okay with that. I’ll talk to Hal and Joe and Iris and see if that’s something they’d be open to, I don’t foresee it being a problem though.” Barry said.

“Excellent! Well, I’ll let you get back to work, I’m sure child rearing has you run off your feet. I was lovely to talk to you Dear, have a nice day.” She wished him.

“Good talking to you too Joan, see you soon.” He signed off, pressing the ‘end call’ button on his phone.

Getting up off his bed, he stretched himself out and opened the door, heading back downstairs and into the kitchen, finding Wally seated near the window looking outside. It was obvious the weather had changed considerably in the last few minutes, going from bright and sunny to dreary and windy. Due to the wind, it was impossible to tell if new snow was falling or if old snow was just getting blown around, overall, it had turned into a miserable looking day.

Barry felt a lump of anxiety creep into his chest and settle there, hoping that in this little flash storm that Hal was on the ground and not in the air. Retrieving his phone from his pocket, he shot him a quick text, praying for a fast response before taking a steadying breath and joining his nephew at the window.

“Hey Kiddo, you doing alright?” He asked.

“Yeah.” He responded, still looking out the window with his head rested on his crossed arms. 

“That’s good.”

Barry jumped a little when his phone buzzed in his pocket. Grabbing it Barry found a text from Hal waiting for him.

‘I’m fine. Carol got a warning of the winds and we’re both inside and safe. Love you.’

Barry breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that lump in his chest ease up now that he knew Hal wasn’t battling nature thousands of feet in the air in a metal tube.

‘Love you too’ 

“Who’re you talking to?” Wally asked.

“Your Uncle Hal. I just wanted to make sure he’s safe.” Barry told him, getting up to start on breakfast.

Wally followed him, tailing a few feet away and watching his uncle take out a pan and grab eggs and butter from the fridge. Barry kept an eye on him, making sure he wasn’t too close to the stove while it was on. He internally debated whether to ask Wally how he would feel if two new people joined them for their holiday dinner with Joe and Iris, ultimately deciding against it, no need to worry him before he’d even had a chance to talk to Hal about it.

When the eggs were close to being done, he got cutlery and plates from the cupboards, sending Wally with the forks to set the table while he poured juice and dished the eggs onto the plates. He gave the cups to Wally and carried over their food, the two staying silent while they ate.

“Uncle Hal flies planes, right?” Wally asked, breaking the comfortable silence.

“Yes, he does. He’s a test pilot.” Barry answered.

“Is that why you wanted to make sure he’s safe?”

“Yes.” Barry nodded slowly, trying to plan his sentence so as to not scare the little boy. “I just wanted to make sure the weather wasn’t making things too difficult for him.”

“And it didn’t?” Wally asked.

“Yeah, his boss, Carol, has a storm warning device that would have told her about these winds. She grounded the planes and her and Hal are just doing paperwork in their offices.” Barry told him.

“Does he like his boss?”

“Yeah, their friends.” Barry said.

“Did they meet at work?” Wally pushed.

“Well yes. But they also used to date, so they’ve been friends for a while.” Barry informed him.

For a moment there was nothing but silence, making Barry look up from his plate. Wally looked confused, like he was trying to wrap his head around something he had never been presented with before.

“I thought Uncle Hal liked boys.” He said.

“He does. He just likes girls too.” Barry explained patiently.

He knew that at some point Wally would start asking questions about their sexualities, and also that he might have some mistruths to unlearn about homosexuality.

“Is that allowed?” Wally asked, making Barry laugh.

“Yes, it is. It’s called Bisexuality, it’s where you like boys and girls.” He explained.

“Do you like girls too?” 

Barry shook his head, smiling still. “No, I just like boys. I’m gay.”

Wally still looked like he wasn’t fully getting it, and Barry realised that the liking boys and girls talk might be better had with Hal.

“You can ask your Uncle Hal about it, he’d be better at explaining it than I am.” Barry told him.

Wally nodded slowly, going back to his breakfast and clearly done with the conversation for the moment. Barry didn’t push it, knowing that it would be hard for a little boy to understand, especially with all the lies and nonsense his father likely spouted about the LGBTQ community. He would learn though, and Barry wasn’t too worried about him following his father's teachings and opinions.


	24. Hard Explainations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hal comes home from work and has a bit of a chat with his nephew.

Hal walked up the front path with apprehension in his bones, waiting for another ambush from the snow hills. He didn’t feel any eyes on him, nor could he hear any giggling from behind him, so he figured he was safe.

He pushed open the door, knocking his boots on the ledge of the doorway. As soon as he stepped onto the front mat he was rushed by a blur of red hair and a green sweater, Wally ran into him, pressing his face into his uncle’s chest as he hugged him. The force of Wally tackling him knocked him over, forcing him to take a few steps back before he could return the enthusiastic hug.

“Hey there Kiddo!” Hal laughed, scooping up the little boy and kissing him on the forehead.

“Hey Uncle Hal!” Wally responded, hugging him tightly.

Barry followed his nephew, leaning against the railing and watching the two embrace. He was smiling slightly while the two greeted each other, waving in greeting to his husband when he nodded to him. Hal set Wally down and ruffled his hair affectionately.

“Give me some space to get inside Kiddo.” He said, kneeling to take his boots off while Wally scampered back to the kitchen.

As soon as Wally was out of sight, Barry bridged the distance between them, taking his jacket to hang in the closet and kissing him when he stood up again. Hal pulled him close, pushing Barry back a bit so their feet were on the hardwood instead of the wet mat.

“Just so you know,” Barry whispered when they broke apart. “I told Wally your Bi, and he might have a few questions for you.”

Hal nodded slowly, biting his bottom lip while he tried to mentally map out how this conversation would go. He knew that these conversations would be coming, Wally had grown up in a heterosexual home that was blatently homophobic, now he was living with his uncles who were in a gay relationship, that had to be a difficult adjustment to get used to. He was a little shocked that it was happening so soon.

“Okay, what have you told him?” Hal asked, wondering what foundation he had to build on.

“Only that you like boys and girls, that it’s called Bisexuality, and that you’re allowed to like both.” Barry told him, trying to be reassuring. “And that I’m gay.”

“Alright, well that’s a good start.” Hal admitted, sliding his arm around Barry’s shoulder and walking them into the kitchen, once again getting a hug from Wally.

“Uncle Hal!” Wally chirped, burying his face in his uncles shirt.

“Hey Squirt! Did ya have a good day?” Hal asked, taking his arm from around Barry to lift up his little boy, settling him on his hip and pulling Barry back against him.

“Yeah! A big dog killed our snowman!” Wally told him, grinning like he wasn’t very bothered by it.

“A big dog killed your snowman?” Hal repeated, trying to make sure he had properly understood the child, though he felt very confused.

“Yeah!” Wally giggled.

Hal glanced over at Barry with a questioning glance, wondering if he was being told about a game the two had played and he just hadn’t caught on yet.

“Strudel came to visit. She knocked down one of our snowmen and stole the carrot off of another one.” Barry explained quietly. 

“Oh, the great escape artist did it again, did she?” Hal joked, feeling more secure about the conversation now that he actually knew what was being talked about. “So you got to meet Strudel?”

“Mhmm! She was really bouncy!” Wally told him, pausing to consider the meeting. “And really loud.”

Hal smiled, kissing Wally on the forehead again. He felt Barry slip out from under his arm so he carried Wally over to the living room and settled onto the couch with his nephew on his lap so they were looking at each other.

“Did you like her?” Hal asked, listening to Barry move around the kitchen as he made dinner.

“Yeah, she was really fluffy and big, she jumped on Uncle Barry. And we had to take her home and I got to pet a cat! Its name was Cookie!” Wally said, sharing his day and cuddling with his uncle.

“That’s fun, I’m really glad that you had a good day. I know Mel and Sam have a few pets, most of them are named after desserts.” Hal praised.

“Most of them?” Wally asked.

“They have a snake named Noodle.” Hal informed him while giggling. “And a tarantula named Fuzzball.”

“What’s a tarantula?” Wally asked him.

“A really big spider.”

“You can keep spiders as pets?” Wally gasped.

“No!” Barry called from the kitchen.

Hal laughed, leaning to try to see his obviously angry husband in the other room.

“Ahh, come on Straw-Barry! Didn’t you like Fuzzball?” He teased.

Barry came to stand in the doorway, leaning against the doorway and looking murderous.

“No, I did not.” He growled.

“Damn. Gonna need to change your birthday present then.” Hal joked, winking at Wally and making him giggling.

Barry narrowed his eyes and pointed a finger at his husband.

“Harold Jordan, if you bring a tarantula into this house, what I do to you will be classified by the UN as a war crime.” Barry threatened.

He turned around and went back to the family dinner. Hal was snickering while he watched his lover walk away, blowing a kiss to his back. Wally leaned forward towards his uncle, dropping his voice so he was only heard by Hal.

“Does Uncle Barry not like tarantulas?” He asked.

“Your Uncle Barry doesn’t like spiders in general.” Hal answered his nephew. “Whenever one turns up in the house, I have to deal with it.” 

“Is he scared of spiders?” Wally wondered, cuddling closer to Hal.

“Yes, he is. And heights.” Hal responded, rubbing Wally’s back when he moved closer.

“What are you scared of?” Wally asked.

Hal thought for a moment, trying to think of what he was scared of that would be appropriate to tell Wally. He was scared that he would leave for a mission and never come back, leaving Barry alone. He was scared that he would slip back into his depression and his PTSD. He was scared of relapsing back into the person he had been before he had become a lantern and joined the league, after he had worked so hard to become a better person, it kept him up sometimes.

But he couldn’t tell a child that. Wally had to deal with his own monsters, he needed to know he could rely on his uncles to comfort him and keep him safe. What he was looking for was something relatable, like Barry’s fear of spiders and heights, a way to connect to his guardians. So Hal picked something that bothered him and ran with it.

“I really hate gorey horror movies, they make my skin itch.” Hal told him honestly. He had tried to watch the Saw chronicles with Barry a few years ago on halloween and had tapped out less than halfway through the first movie.

“Okay.” Wally accepted, resting his head against Hal’s shoulder.

“What scares you?” Hal asked, deciding to try to get Wally to open up a little bit more.

Wally stiffened up, curling his fingers into Hal’s shirt.

“Loud noises.” He answered quietly. “Angry people.”

“Yeah, those are pretty scary, aren’t they?” Hal agreed, pulling him closer and kissing his head.

Wally nodded, closing his eyes while Hal ran his fingers down his back and snuggled with him. He could hear Barry in the kitchen, shuffling around and moving things around while the smell of spices and vegetables wafted to the living room.

After a moment, he heard the T.V turn on, glancing up to see what Hal had put on. Barry poked his head into the living room, glancing at the T.V and nodding.

“Getting him introduced to Scrubs already?” He asked.

“Hey, he needs to know good quality comedy.” Hal joked.

Wally started shifting, turning so he could watch with his uncle. The show itself was funny, though he got the feeling that he wasn’t fully getting all of the jokes. There were two very pretty girls that were talking together and he remembered the conversation he had had about Hal with Barry earlier.

“Do you like girls?” He blurted out, clearly startling his uncle.

Hal settled himself and took a breath, planning for a difficult conversation with a young person. 

“Yes, I do.” He answered.

“And boys?”

“That’s right.” Hal agreed.

“But you married Uncle Barry?” Wally asked. “So you’re gay.”

“No, I’m not.” Hal corrected gently. “I’m still Bisexual, I’m just in a gay marriage.”

Wally stayed silent, chewing on that tidbit of information while he figured out how to process it.

“So would you leave Uncle Barry to go be with a girl?” He asked eventually, sounding frightened.

“Oh my God, No! Of course not!” Hal said, trying not to be offended by the question, knowing Wally didn’t know any better. “I love Barry more than anybody else in the whole world, I would never cheat on him.”

“But you like girls!” Wally pointed out.

Hal nodded, taking a deep breath and calming down. This wasn’t like adults who were just being willfully ignorant to get a rise out of him, this was a little boy who had neer been presented with the concept of any sexuality other than heterosexuality and was curious about something he had never heard of. While the immediate question of his loyalty was a slap in the face, it wasn’t like it wasn’t a conclusion that was hard to stumble on.

“Do you think I would cheat on Barry with another guy?” He asked.

“No.” Wally said, sounding certain about his answer.

“Then why do you think I would cheat on him with a girl?” 

“Because-” Wally stammered. “Because boys and girls are different.”

 _‘Right! Not going down the bedroom route.’_ Hal thought to himself, changing the direction of the conversation.

“They are, but Sweetheart, all that my Bisexuality means is that when I was single, I didn’t care whether I wound up with a man or a woman.” He explained. “I love Barry so much I entered a monogamous marriage with him and we agreed to raise you together.”

Wally nodded, staying quiet again and Hal took that to mean that he was starting to get it. 

“I don’t even know how to _play_ Monopoly.” Wally said.

“What?” Hal asked, looking at Wally like he had just grown two heads.

“You said you’re in a monopoly relationship. I don’t even know how to play Monopoly.” Wally explained.

Hal heard Barry burst out laughing from the kitchen, letting Hal know he had been listening in the whole time. Hal also started laughing, getting what had tripped Wally up and he kicked himself for using a word that a child would absolutely not understand.

“Monogamous, Kiddo.” He corrected, still laughing. “It means I only love one person at a time.”

“Are there people who love more than one person at a time?” Wally questioned.

“Yes, there are.”

“So you love more than one person at a time?” 

“No, no Sweetheart. I only love your Uncle Barry.” He explained.

“But you like boys and girls!” Wally exclaimed, clearly getting frustrated.

Hal nodded, taking another deep breath while he composed himself. He felt like he was wandering in circles and he could only imagine how confused and frustrated Wally was feeling. He nearly burst into grateful tears when Barry came to his rescue.

“Wally, do you like cookies?” He asked, kneeling down in front of the child.

“Yes!” Wally answered enthusiastically, looking relieved to be talking about something he actually knew about.

“Okay, and do like cake?” Barry asked.

“Yeah.” Wally said.

“If I gave you a plate of cookies, would you give it up if you had the chance to get a piece of cake?” Barry asked.

“No, cause I’ve already got the cookies.” Wally explained.

“Great, then you kind of understand Bisexuality. You like both but you wouldn’t give up one you have for the chance to have the other.” Barry said, connecting the dots for Wally.

The little boy considered it for a moment before nodding slowly. It was clear that he wasn’t fully grasping the concept but he was understanding it better now than he previously had. Barry nodded, kissing Hal on the cheek and going back to cooking dinner. Wally looked up at Hal, blinking at him with big green eyes filled with curiosity.

“When did you know you loved Uncle Barry?” He asked.

That was the same as the what scares you question. The real answer was when they had been doing clean up after a mission that had not gone well, they had found a little girl crying under a pile of rubble with her brother's body. Hal had been ready to throw in the towel right then, demolished after seeing the casualty and destruction left over after some terrorist had set off a variety of bombs in a major European city, but Barry had swallowed any of his own negative emotions and guided the child over to the paramedics. Hal had come back to find the little girl curled up in his then boyfriends lap while Barry whispered and comforted her, making her smile and giggle despite her grief.

Afterwards, the entire league had gone over to Bruce’s mansion and actively tried to get shitfaced. It was only when they were crawling into bed that Barry had broken down and sobbed about everything that had gone wrong during that mission. Watching a man be able to put aside his own issues to make a vulnerable child feel even just a tiny bit better and only taking care of himself when everyone had been taken care of had made Hal realize how much he loved Barry.

“I went to go visit Barry at work one day. When I got to his lab I found him holding a little girl on his lap. Turns out she had just watched her brother die in a random shooting and wasn’t talking to anyone, so Barry volunteered to take her to get her to open up a bit. I knew he was kind and caring before that, but seeing just how far it went made me realize that I would never find anyone else even half as wonderful as he is.” Hal told his nephew.

“So you won’t ever leave him?” Wally asked.

Hal nodded, understanding roughly, where Wally was coming from. For the first time in his life, he was in a safe home with a couple in a stable relationship and he didn’t want that to end.

“Com’ere.” He said, standing and picking Wally up, carrying him to the kitchen. 

He set Wally on a clean spot on the counter, turning to Barry.

“Babe, can I see your engagement ring for a moment?” He asked.

Barry nodded, turning from the stove and sliding his ring off his finger, placing it delicately into Hal’s open palm.

“Thank you, I’ll give it back in a moment.” 

Hal turned back to Wally and slid off his own ring, holding both up for the child to see. One ring had a red gemstone in the center with one diamond on either side with gaps in between. The other had a very similar design, except with a green gemstone in the center. Hal put the two rings together and pushed gently, the rings making a little clicking noise, he then handed them to Wally, who could see that they had fastened together through the gemstones with the green and red ones nestled beside each other.

“Barry and I always joked that we’re like two puzzle pieces, we’re both very different people, but when we’re together we can bring out the best in each other. When we were talking about rings, we came up with the idea that they should be able to fit together, just like we do.” Hal told him, letting Wally examine the jewelry.

“Why are they different colours?” He asked, fitting the rings on his own finger and looking at them.

“Red and green are complementary colours, they look better together than they do when paired with any other colour. Just like your Uncle Barry and I look better together than with anyone else.” Hal explained.

Wally nodded, taking the rings off his finger and handing them back to Hal. His uncle twisted them and they came undone, he put his back on his own finger and gently grabbed Barry’s arm. He pulled the blond away from the stove and over towards them, taking his hand and sliding the ring back onto his finger before kissing the back of his hand and making Barry laugh.

“Dork.” Barry teased, standing on his tippy toes to kiss his husband properly before going back to the stove. “Dinner’s almost ready.”

Hal smiled as he went, lifting Wally off the counter and carrying him towards the table.

“Do you still think I might leave Barry?” He asked his nephew.

Wally shook his head, resting against his uncle while he was carried to the dining table. Hal set him down in his seat and kissed him on the head once more.  
“Good. Because I will never leave your Uncle Barry, and I will never leave you. The two of you are stuck with me.” He teased, ruffling Wally’s hair and going back to the kitchen to fetch cutlery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know that I left out a whole bunch regarding Bisexuality and what it means. I was going on what would be easier to explain to a child, I also briefly mentioned polygamy, also in the bare minimum. I fully support Polyam rights, I just needed to dumb down an explanation of a complex subject enough for a little boy to understand.


	25. Bad Timing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry and Hal talk about how their going to handle the holidays and things get a little racey. Or do they?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I will warn you guys, there is a make out scene in this one. It's kinda explicit. I will say that I have never made out with anyone so if this is really inaccurate, my apologies.

Hal crawled into bed beside Barry, leaning against the headboard and playing on his phone while Barry read a book beside him. The blond squirmed under his arm and rested his head against Hal’s shoulder the second he was settled, making Hal smile when he felt his husband’s breaths with his arm around his shoulders.

“So today went well then?” He commented offhandedly.

“It did.” Barry agreed, turning a page.

“Wally is doing a lot better.” Hal remarked. “Do you remember when he first woke up? He wouldn’t even let us near him, he wouldn’t look us in the eye, wouldn’t speak to us. He actually ran over to me when I came home this evening!”

Barry smiled, tilting his head into Hal’s shoulder and nuzzling him affectionately. 

“I know. When I took him to the mall to grab some clothes, I made him hold my hand in the parking lot and he let go as soon as he could. Today he grabbed my hand to pull me over to see something.” Barry said. “He used to second guess everything we told him, today he trusted me enough to let me introduce him to Strudel.”

“He’s making some real progress, he’s like a completely different kid.” Hal laughed.

“Not different.” Barry corrected. “He’s just gotten used to being safe.”

“Which is an improvement.”

“Which is an improvement.” Barry agreed.

The pair was quiet, reflecting on how much Wally had grown in the past few months. He was more energetic, eager to play and move about, he was getting more comfortable with being touched and held, even initiating hugs with both of them. The little boy was also more talkative, vocalizing his thoughts and emotions more than he had even just a few weeks ago.

“Do you think he’s ready to meet the family?” Hal asked eventually.

Barry leaned forwards, clearly having given this some thought before hands. He massaged his temples with his fingers, working his digits through his hair.

“I don’t know.” He sighed, conflicted. “I really don’t. On one hand, he’s been doing so well that I think he could handle it. On the other hand, I would never forgive myself if we threw all our progress down the drain just to make him spend time with our friends.”

Hal rubbed his back, his husband looking at him over his shoulder.

“What are your thoughts?” He asked.

“I agree with you on both counts. But he has to meet them eventually, we’re planning our ceremony for the spring and I don’t think we’re going to get another chance to do a meet and greet with all of them before that.” Hal said. 

“Our friends all know about Wally’s issues and his setbacks and they’ve volunteered to lighten up on the drinking and partying to help him feel safe. If we keep an eye on him and bring some books and toys, he can find a secluded spot with us and just have some quiet time if things get to be too much. And, if worse comes to worse, we just bring him home.”

Barry was nodding along with him, whether he completely agreed or was just thinking it over, it was hard to tell. Hal caught his chin and turned his face towards him, on the bedside table, his phone chimed but he ignored it.

“I think not going at all would be a mistake. All of these people, whom he’s never even met, are in his corner and have been since him living with us even became a possibility. I think it would do him some good to at least meet them, get to know their names. He’s a league kid now, he should meet his aunts and uncles.”

Barry nodded, decisively this time.

“Okay. So if we take him, I think he should stay in the same room as us. That way he’ll always have us in the night without having to look, and he has a guaranteed way to find us. I also think we should bring some snacks and juice boxes so if he doesn’t feel like hanging out with people, he still has something to eat.” He suggested, Hal’s phone chiming again.

“Alright, good idea. I think it would be worth talking to Ollie, see if we could arrive a day ahead of the others so that Wally has a bit to get used to the area before the others show up.” Hal agreed. “I can talk to Ollie tomorrow, see about how he would feel if we showed up early.”

“Sounds fair.” Barry said.

Both men nodded, turning back to their respective tasks. Barry read another chapter before nudging Hal in the ribs, getting his attention.

“Joan called me today.” He started.

“Oh, how is she?” Hal asked, waiting to see where the conversation was heading.

“She’s good. She was hoping to do a get together for the holidays, so she and Jay can meet Wally. I told her I couldn’t promise anything until I talked to you about it.” Barry told him. “I was wondering what you think.”

“I think it’s a great idea, probably even better than introducing him to his aunts and uncles.” Hal said.

“Really?” Barry asked, cocking an eyebrow while giving Hal a quizzical look.

“Well yeah, I mean, Jay and Joan are old, they’re not intimidating. Like not even in the slightest. We can get a practice run in with them, and if Wally can’t handle two old people, we know not to take him to Ollies for new years.” Hal explained while his phone chimed again.

Barry burst out laughing, sliding down a little as he struggled to get a breath in.

“Hal!” He cried.

“What? It’s not untrue.” Hal said defensively.

Barry pushed himself upright, taking a coupe of clarifying breaths before talking again.

“I know, but still!” He said. “If they hear you call them old they’ll smack you!” 

“Well I’m not dumb enough to say it in front of them, but that doesn’t mean I won’t say it at all.” Hal argued, making his husband laugh again. “Anyway, that’s not the point! The point is, I think we should introduce Wally to Joan and Jay.”

“Alright, glad we agree, I’ll send her a text tomorrow.” Barry giggled.

“Okay.” Hal said, tilting Barry’s head upward for a kiss.

One kiss turned into two, which led to Barry’s hands sliding up Hals back and gripping his shoulders so hard Hal could feel his fingerprints bruising themselves onto his skin. He grabbed Barry’s hips, pulling him until Barry was sitting on his lap. Barry pulled back to give him an enticing smile before kissing him again, letting Hal run his fingers through his hair and down his back, and knew this wouldn’t stop at kissing.

“Wally might hear.” Hal warned, pushing back to give them a moment to breath.

“I doubt it.” Barry laughed, breathless from the kissing. “That pill will keep him dead to the world till eight tomorrow.”

He finished off his sentence by kissing along Hal’s jaw, making his husband tilt his head up while he nibbled his ear. 

“Okay.” Hal agreed, his voice feeling higher with excitement.

Activating his ring, Hal created a construct to push the door closed, only letting it fade away when he heard the door click shut. Barry ground against him, grazing his teeth against Hal’s lips while they kissed, his hand on the back of his lovers head. 

Hal grabbed the speedsters shirt, pulling it up over his head, making him relinquish his hold long enough for the material to be completely off of him, then going right back to kissing. Hal didn’t even bother throwing the shirt away, to focused on Barry to do anything but drop it beside them. 

He had always felt Barry’s body was a work of art, like it belonged in a museum. From his right shoulder down across the expanse of his chest and back were the scars from the lightning, accenting his collarbones and hips perfectly. Hal started on his collarbones, kissing them until the skin was pink and then biting them lightly, feeling Barry’s happy gasp and his fingers in his hair.

He groaned aloud when his phone started chiming, vibrating against the bedside table so loudly it nearly drowned out their gasping breaths. Barry brushed his cheek alongside his, kissing his ear.

“Ignore it.” He whispered.

Hal considered it, tracing his fingers down Barry’s spine. But his phone would not shut up and if someone was that desperate to get a hold of him it must be important. So he pushed Barry back and grabbed his phone off the table, pushing the button to turn it on.

He had nearly twenty messages, all of them from Clark. 

‘I can also keep an ear out for him’

‘If his heartbeat gets to fast, I can let you know’

‘And I can help you get there faster by moving your car for you’

‘We can discuss it tomorrow, I’m calling a meeting.’

‘Hal’

‘Harold!’

‘There’s some important things I need to discuss with you.’

‘I’d really just appreciate it if you’d let me know you’re getting these.’

‘Harold Jordan!’

‘I will tell the Garricks you called them old if you don’t answer your damn phone!!!’

‘Hal!’

‘I’m trying to help you’

‘Answer me!’

‘Stop making out like a horny teenager and answer your damn phone!’

From there they were mostly just variations of his name. Hal closed his eyes in embarrassment, feeling Barry tilt the phone towards him so he could read the messages.

Hal sent Clark back a text, his face feeling hot and no longer in a good way.

‘I got the message. Leave me alone.’

Barry buried his face into Hal’s shoulder, not like he had before, when they had been kissing, more like he was trying to hide. 

“Goddamn you Clark, you fucking cockblocker.” Hal muttered.

Barry pulled away from him, crawling off his lap and retrieving his discarded shirt, pulling it back on and hiding his skin beneath it. His face was more red than his sister's hair and he was smiling the same restrained smile a person has when they’re keeping a secret. He was still gorgeous, but it was clear he wasn’t in the mood anymore. 

“Bedtime?” Hal asked.

“Yeah.” Barry said, lifting the messy covers so he could get under them and laying down with his back to his husband.

Hal nodded, shutting his phone off and plugging it into it’s charger. He laid down next to Barry, shifting closer until his chest was pressed against the other man's back, spooning him from behind. Mentally adding ‘beat the shit out of Clark’ to his to-do list, Hal closed his eyes and tried to get some sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was a shorter chapter, I just wanted to clear the 'where are they going for the holidays' thing up and wasn't sure how to connect it to another chapter. Hope you enjoyed, please leave a like and a comment, it keeps me motivated while writing. Love you all lots, see you next time.


	26. Change Of Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hal goes to confront Clark and discuss the thing that he was so desperate to get a hold of him for.

Hal strutted into the League headquarters like a man on a mission. As soon as he saw Clark, who was in a conversation with Arthur and Diana, he grabbed him by the shoulder and dragged him off with a nod to the other two. He dragged Clark to the empty hallway leading to the conference room and shoved him, his back hitting the wall. After a quick check to make sure no one was nearby, he smacked Clark on the side of the head, making him yelp.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Hal hissed at him. “We have an eight year old now, do you know how rare opportunities like that are?”

“Well he has to sleep sometime, doesn’t he?” Clark asked, rubbing at the side of his head even though Hal’s smack couldn’t have hurt him.

“Man, I hardly even get to see my husband anymore! I’m working, he’s taking care of Wally, which is a twenty-four seven job, by the way.” Hal rambled. “We haven’t done anything more than kiss in four months, and you just fucked up our one chance!”

“You haven’t had Wally for four months!” Clark groaned. “You only brought him home in September!”

“But he was in the hospital for more than a month before that! And it’s not like we were getting it on in the hotel room every night while we were busy praying he wouldn’t die in his sleep.” Hal pointed out, actually making Clark look bashful.

“Look, I’m sorry.” Clark said. “I know raising Wally has been a strain on you two and I know that it’s hard to do couple-y things since you brought the kid home.”

“Yeah, it can be.” Hal snapped, letting a hint of tease slide into his tone to soften it. “Which is why I would appreciate it, if next time you need to get my attention and hear us having fun, wait till we’re done.”

His friend at least had the decency to blush and look ashamed, a sheepish smile on his face.

“If it helps, it was awkward for me too.” He offered.

“It doesn’t. But paybacks a bitch, and if I find out that you’re going to get yourself some tail, I’m going to call you to babysit.” Hal warned.

“Do it. I’d love to spend some more time with my newest nephew.” Clark challenged. “Speaking of, you are bringing him for new years, right?”

Hal nodded, willing to drop the conversation and move to a different one.

“Yes, we are. I need to speak with Ollie about it, we’re hoping to make this a good experience for Wally.” Hal said.

“Great!” Clark smiled, bouncing lightly on his toes. “I can’t wait to meet him! I have so many great ideas, he is going to have so much fun!”

Hal didn’t derive any pleasure from having to burst Clarks bubble, it was heartwarming to see how eager his friend was to meet Wally. But he also knew that while his nephew had been doing better and was more confident, he was about to meet some very intimidating looking people, and he most likely wouldn’t want to be touched by any of them right away,

“Clark, Buddy. I get no joy out of telling you this, but; he is not likely to be very excited to see you.” Hal told him. “I know you're a great guy, and I can’t wait for you to get to meet Wally. But you're also very big, and kinda scary looking, and you are going to terrify him at first.”

The farmer’s son looked crestfallen, making Hal’s heart twist. Clark took it in stride, nodding and plastering on a smile.

“Right. Right of course.” Clark shrugged. “I mean, I get it. I scared the snot out of Roy when we first met, and he didn’t come from the same background as Wally did.”

“Hey man, I know that it sucks, he was scared of me too. But he’ll warm up, and I know he’s going to love you.” Hal comforted, starting to guide his friend back towards the main room. 

They crossed the threshold into the central cavern and rejoined the gathered group. Arthur waved at him while Diana nodded regally, Ollie had joined them sometime during Hal’s conversation with Clark and he slugged Hal on the arm.

“So what was so important that you couldn’t wait till the next meeting?” Ollie asked Clark.

“There’s been a bit of a development with the Arctic Data Bank Expedition that I felt needed to be discussed with everyone.” Clark explained. “Since it isn’t an official meeting, I was just thinking we could just chat in the lounge.”

The group moved to settle in on the couches, Hal sitting next to Ollie on the sofa, Clark and Diana each took an armchair, and Arthur claimed the loveseat. 

“Everyone here?”

Everyone, with the exception of Clark, jumped when Bruce materialized from the hallway and announced himself. The Dark Knight elected to stand rather than take a seat, even when Clark offered him the armchair.

“Excellent. As Clark mentioned, there’s been a development regarding the Data Bank Update. Unfortunately, Red Tornado is no longer able to assist with our air support and we are in need of someone who can come along.” Bruce opened, looking at Hal. “Hal, I’m sorry to ask you this, I know you and Barry are off active duty. I wouldn’t ask if I felt I had another option, but would you be able to provide air support?”

Hal bit his lip, reaching for his phone to discuss it with Barry. “I don’t know. Let me talk about it with Barry.”

Bruce nodded, the group remaining silent while Hal sent Barry a text explaining the situation and asking for his thoughts on it. While they waited for Barry’s response, Ollie started talking about New years.

“So you and Barry are good to attend?” He asked, nudging his best friend with his shoulder.

“Yes, we talked about it last night. We’re going to bring some books and toys, so he can have something to do if he needs some quiet time, and have him stay in the same room as us so he can be near us.” Hal said.

Diana and Arthur perked up, while Ollie grinned and slapped him on the back. Bruce and Clark didn’t look surprised, Clark because he had listened in to the conversation last night, and Hal assumed he had told Bruce.

“Lovely, I cannot wait to meet your little boy.” Diana said, clapping her hands together.

“Yeah, we’re really looking forward to introducing him to you all. I know he’s going to love you.” Hal told them when his phone buzzed.

The gathering fell silent once more as Hal checked his texts, waiting for him to reignite the conversation.

“Barry’s cool with it, I’m good to go.” Hal relayed, sending a text back to Barry, thanking him.

“Fantastic, thank you.” Clark told him.

“Would you please meet us here at seven pm this Sunday?” Bruce asked.

“Yeah, of course.” Hal agreed. “I’ll come over after dinner.”

Arthur grinned, letting Hal know that there was about to be some ribbing.

“After you’re done being a daddy?” He teased.

“You don’t really stop being a parent.” Hal deadpanned. “Or haven’t you figured it out yet? I can give you some pointers if you’d like.”

“Well we all know you’re good at being a Dad. You had your son sleeping on your chest while he was at the hospital.” Diana said.

Hal frowned, thinking about when he had told them about that.

“How did you know about that?” He asked. “I never told you about it.”

“We saw the picture man.” Clark laughed.

“Picture? What picture?” He demanded.

Clark bit his lip, trying not to laugh out loud.

“Oh, did Barry not tell you about the picture he took?” 

Hal grabbed his phone and sent him a text, asking him to swing by for a moment. Within a few minutes, during which there was a variety of hushed snickers, Barry breezed into the room, still in his civies.

“What’s up?” He asked, looking at Hal with genuine confusion on his face.

“Did you take a picture of me at the hospital with Wally and send it to the league?” Hal asked with false sternness.

“What? No!” Barry cried indignantly. “I mean, I took a picture but I only sent it to Ollie!”

Hal turned to look at his best friend, who raised his hands to prove his innocence.

“Don’t look at me! I only showed Dinah and sent it to Arthur.” He promised.

The trio looked over at Arthur, who was now on his phone. He looked up at them when he felt eyes on him.

“I only sent it to everybody.” He admitted unapologetically, going back to his screen. “I also sent it to Mera.”

Hal gave him a narrow-eyed glare, imitating slitting his own throat. Arthur smiled and flipped him the bird.

“Okay Ariel, I’m not going to kick your ass now, because it would make Barry upset with me, but you and I are going to the Arctic together and accidents happen there.” Hal threatened, kissing Barry before the speedster ran back home.

“Do your worst Starboy.” Arthur pushed, typing something into his device.

“Boys.” Diana interrupted. 

Hal grinned at her, feeling like a school boy who had just gotten caught saying a naughty word by the principal, Arthur did the same, but stuck his tongue out at Hal the second she turned her back. 

“You two might want to remember what you like about each other.” Clark suggested.

It felt like advice for adolescents, so Hal decided to be an ass for a moment more.

“Okay.” He agreed, turning to Arthur and forcing himself to sound sincere. “Arthur, I really like how when we go swimming, I can use you as shark bait.”

Arthur chuckled and returned the sarcasm.

“I’m a big fan of your husband, you must be a little bit smarter than I thought to trick him into marrying you.” Arthur returned.

“Boys!” Diana interrupted again, exasperated.

Bruce rolled his eyes, glancing at Clark. The Man of Steel nodded, apparently understanding the silent communication the Dark Knight was using to convey his thoughts. Hal didn’t think much of it, Clark and Bruce had always been decent friends and now that they were sharing a residence, however temporary, they must be adjusted to each other and their nonverbal cues. 

“Arthur, are you still bringing your trainee?” Bruce asked, changing the topic back to the task at hand.

Arthur’s posture changed, he was no longer lax and laid back, as he had been before. Instead, he was tense and looked uncomfortable, cupping the back of his neck.

“Yes, I am still hoping to bring Kaldur’Ahm.” He confirmed. “He’s a very mature young man, so you likely won’t even notice he’s there, don’t worry.”

Bruce raised an eyebrow at his friend, glancing at Clark once more.

“I was mostly asking so that I know how many people I have to keep track of.” Bruce said, making Arthur look even more awkward.

“Right! Of course, makes sense.”

Oliver and Hal looked at each other, identical shit-eating grins on their faces. Oliver turned to the Atlantean and started teasing him.

“Why do you even want to bring your kid to the Arctic in the first place?” Ollie asked him.

Arthur glared at his friend, defensive about what had just been said.

“He is _not_ my kid!” He corrected in a low tone. “All he is to me is a trainee, that’s all.”

The room got silent, with a stifling feeling of discomfort at Arthurs outburst. Hal and Ollie looked at each other, Ollie looking like he had when he caught Roy in a bold-faced lie. Clark cleared his throat, breaking the quiet.

“Alright then, I guess we don’t have anything else to discuss tonight. Everybody just remember to show up here at seven on Sunday and we should be fine.” Clark announced, clapping his hands together.

Before Clark had even finished, Arthur had gotten up and was heading to the Zeta Tubes, the computer announcing his departure to the assembly. Clark stared at the hallway where his friend had left as though that would bring him back.

“Well, goodbye then.” He muttered to the empty space.

The group trickled out after that, Hal lingering with Ollie in the lounge after everyone had left.

“I thought you said he was one step away from carrying pictures of the kid in his wallet, where the hell did that come from?” Hal asked.

“I have no idea!” Ollie shrugged. “I guess the kid might not feel the same way he does, if they had an argument and the kid said something out of anger, I guess he might be upset about that.”

“So we’re totally gonna talk to him about it later right?” Hal asked.

“Oh definitely, without question.” Ollie agreed.

Hal nodded, clapping Ollie’s back and giving him a quick hug.

“Alright, text me later tomorrow, we can make a plan. I gotta get back to the mister and kid, I’ll see you on Sunday Man.” Hal said.

“Alright, see you later Dude.” Ollie said, leaving for the Zeta Tubes and leaving for his own home.

Hal took a moment to think about the meeting, knowing he would have to talk to Barry about an excuse to leave home so Wally wouldn’t be suspicious about his absence. Smiling to himself, Hal also lamented the fact that he was going to have some fun teasing Barry for that picture he took of him with Wally. Thinking about how he wanted a copy of that picture for himself, though he would never admit it to most of his friends.


	27. Missions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Data Bank Update happens, Hal gets to meet Arthur's trainee, and everything goes to shit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a long one, I will confess. It's also very Arthur and Kaldur centric, there isn't much of Barry at all, and Wally doesn't show up, so if this chapter isn't your cup of tea, I completely understand

  
Hal was sitting backwards on the dining chair with his phone in his hand, waiting for the signal to leave with the others. It was almost seven on Sunday, the garage of the mountain abuzz with Batman and Superman triple checking their supplies, route, and plan, and Ollie and Diana talking with each other against the wall. Everybody, with the exception of Arthur and his trainee, were present and accounted for, the jet was loaded and ready to go, everything was in order, except that Arthur wasn’t there.

“If Aquaman doesn’t show up on time, do I have permission to turn him into fish sticks?” Hal asked, hiding his phone in his back pocket.

Clark gave him a glare while Diana rolled her eyes. Bruce was in a rare teasing mood though, and responded.

“No, we still need him for the mission. Wait till after to turn him into fish sticks.” He joked, though his tone was dry and slightly monotone.

“Turn who into fish sticks?”

Hal turned towards the hallway, where the voice had come from. Arthur was standing in the doorway, geared up in his Aquaman uniform with his trident on his back. Hal was about to tease him for almost being late when he caught sight of movement behind his friend. Ollie leaned over a bit to try to see behind the Atlantean, Arthur seemed to remember that he had a guest with him, stepping to the side to expose the child by his side.

The little boy in question had dark skin, making the blue marks on his arms and shoulders pop. His eyes were a shocking gray colour, and his albino white hair stood out with them. His neck was ribbed with his gills, making it look more defined than his age would usually allow, and when he lifted his hand in greeting, Hal could see that his fingers were webbed.

“My friends, this is my trainee Kaldur’Ahm. Kaldur, these are my friends; Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Arrow, and Green Lantern.” Arthur introduced, pointing to individual members of the group as he named them.

“Pleasure to meet you.” Kaldur’Ahm said slowly, the words tinged with a heavy Atlantean accent. Hal assumed that the slowed speech was because he hadn’t fully mastered the english language yet. 

Arthur smiled down at the boy, saying something to him in Atlantean that Hal ignored, not wanting to eavesdrop on them. Kaldur looked over at Superman, the man of steel moving from the loading dock to the hallway to properly greet him.

“You are the one leading the way to-” Kaldur froze, looking like he had been caught redhanded at something “The cold place.” 

Clark looked at Arthur, who just corrected the kid.

“The North Pole Kaldur, that’s where we’re going.” 

The look of relief the kid had on his face when Arthur offered up the words he was clearly looking for made Hal’s heart twist. He didn’t know much about this child, but it was very clear he wasn’t confident in his place. Ollie seemed to see it too, sharing a look with Hal while Arthur ushered Kaldur farther into the room.

“Well, since that’s everyone, we ought to be good to go.” Superman said, clapping his hands together.

Hal and Clark stood to the side while Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Arrow, Aquaman, and Kaldur got onto the jet. Activating his ring and letting his suit flood over his skin, Hal waited until the jet had taken off before flying after it with Clark on his left.They didn’t have a hard time keeping up with the jet, and Hal’s ring told him where it was even when Batman turned it on stealth mode. 

The flight didn’t take too long, slowed down only when they dipped down towards the ocean so Aquaman and Kaldur could jump out and follow from the water. Hal found himself feeling sorry for the little boy, the Arctic water was cold, and he was very small, so try as he might, he couldn’t figure out why Arthur wanted to bring the squirt along.

Before Hal could really think about it in detail, the Data Bank came up on their horizon. It was designed to look like the rest of the terrain, rocky and gray, easily overlooked if you didn’t know what you were looking for. He also knew that, thanks to a favour Zatara owed to Clark years ago, that there was a charm around the place that would make anyone who didn’t belong there incredibly paranoid until they either left or had a panic attack. 

“GL, Superman, I need you two to do a thorough perimeter search of the area, make sure there’s nothing there that shouldn’t be.” Batman's voice crackled through his communicator.

Hal looked over to Clark, jerking his thumb to the right, indicating that he was going to take the right and that Clark was on the left. Using his ring, he started scanning over the surface for any life force. He found a few fox boroughs, some rabbits, and a pack of wolves, but nothing that didn’t belong in the area.

“All clear to the right of bulls-eye.” He said into his earpiece.

“Aces to the left.” Clark responded.

“Good. Both of you, fall into the Bank but keep your wits about you.” Bruce ordered.

Falling behind Superman, Hal glanced around them as they reached the entrance and walked into the Bank. It wasn’t a large set of caverns, a few off branches that sprawled further down into the frozen ground, he knew that one lead to an underwater access point that Kaldur and Arthur would be coming through shortly while the others just led to dead ends.

Batman and Wonder Woman were in the central cavern, Batman near the power banks and offline information servers. Diana nodded to the pair as they walked in, staying near the only doorway to keep watch over the surroundings.

“We’re only waiting on Aquaman and his apprentice, once we know that our water access is safe, we can begin the update.” Batman said without looking up from the multitude of buttons and sensors on the console he was focused on.

“So until then, just stay alert.” Wonder Woman added.

Hal leaned against the wall, creating a chair with his ring so he could sit. Clark stayed by the door for a few moments before he set off down one of the dead ends, unable to stay still while he waited. Within moments, Hal heard his earpiece crackle in his ear, Arthur's voice loud and clear.

“Water’s safe, we’re in the cavern.” He said.

Batman nodded, immediately opening up the computer’s main support and attaching an adapter to it from his personal holo-computer on his arm. Hal knew that Bruce didn’t need any help or anybody peeping over his shoulder while he worked, so he left to go meet Arthur down by the ocean access. 

The cave was dank and cold, with a slanted floor that was swallowed by ocean water towards the back. Hal knew that there was a series of underwater caves that lead to this one, so it was still closed off. Arthur and Kaldur were standing a few inches away from the icy water, still dripping from their swim, Arthur’s hair already had ice crystals forming in it.

“How’s the water?” Hal asked, making Arthur glare at him.

“It’s lovely, you should take a dip.” He replied,before lowering his voice. “Might freeze your dick off.”

“Ahh, definitely can’t then. Barry would be mad.” Hal teased, giving Arthur a cocky look when he rolled his eyes.

“Gross.”He muttered.

“You brought it up.” Hal defended.

Arthur just nodded, ignoring Hal and turning to Kaldur, who was running his webbed hands up and down his arms while he tried to warm up after his chilly swim. Arthur knelt down in front of him, switching seamlessly to Atlantean from English.

“ _Alright Kid, I need to go help out with this update. Can I count on you to keep this area secure?_ ” He asked, Hal’s ring translating in his ear.

Kaldur looked over the moon, grinning widely even as he tried to cover it up. Hal barely managed to not laugh out loud when the child saluted his mentor and nodded vigorously.

“ _Great, glad I can count on you._ ” Arthur said, again in Atlantean. “ _I’ll come check on you when I’m done, just hang tight._ ”

Kaldur nodded again, turning to watch the water as his mentor and Green Lantern left the room. As soon as they were a decent distance away, Hal started laughing, unable to hold it back any longer. Aquaman rolled his eyes at his friend when he leaned on his shoulder to support himself, shrugging to get him off.

“Oh-h! My god!” Hal gasped, trying to contain his laughter. “That was adorable! Arthur, how did you find this kid?”

Aquaman shook his head, waving off his question. He sped up, leaving Hal behind him as he nearly jogged into the cave housing the supercomputer and its data banks. When he caught up, Batman had already started the update,the screens alight with binary code as he checked the computer's inner workings. Clark glanced around to look behind Hal, looking at Arthur with a questioning expression.

“Where’s your kid?” He asked.

“He _isn’t_ mine.” Arthur snarled. “I left him in the cavern we came in through, that way he doesn’t get under foot.”

Hal frowned, checking Arthur over. His change of attitude was sudden, harsh and snarky when Kaldur was mentioned, yet he had been gentle with the boy when speaking with him, even finding an excuse to leave him in the other room without being rude. It didn’t make sense to Hal, whether or not Arthur considered this child to be his, his attitude and behaviour when he was brought up was very hostile, and Hal wondered absently if there was something that his friend wasn’t disclosing.

“As long as you know where he is.” Bruce muttered audibly while he worked.

Aquaman didn’t respond, or show any outward reaction to his friend. Ollie looked at Hal, giving him a ‘get a load of this’ look while secretly nodding to Arthur, Hal just shrugged. He could slightly theorize what Arthur might be dealing with.

Just because Arthur was training the kid didn’t mean that he could claim him as his own. There could also be an difference in opinion between Kaldur’Ahm and Arthur about their relationship, if Arthur was trying to be more than a mentor, but Kaldur was only wanting a trainer/trainee type thing, Arthur could be trying to distance himself to lessen the impact, while also trying not to let his friends know what he was dealing with.

“So we just need to upload the new software, restart the computer, and restart the program and then we’re off to the races, right?” Ollie listed off, breaking Hal out of his thoughts.

“That’s right.” Bruce confirmed, continuing to type. “It shouldn’t take longer than an hour to do.”

The group settled in to wait while Batman worked. It was a fairly uneventful hour, Clark and Hal taking turns going out and checking the surrounding area every fifteen minutes. Batman took a few breaks, stretching his back and rolling his shoulders, wriggling his fingers and moving his wrists to loosen them up. True to his word, the update didn’t take more than an hour and soon enough, Batman was closing the console and packing up his things to leave when Clark stood bolt upright without warning.

“Somethings wrong.” He said sharply,looking at the wall.

And then the screaming started.

The crew leapt into action, Ollie slung his bow and knocked an arrow while they all ran to the ocean access, where they could all hear screaming. Arthur managed to pull ahead,though only mere inches before Hal, but enough that he was the first one to see the incident that required immediate attention.

Hal nearly slammed into Arthur when he stopped suddenly, shocked into stillness at the scene. Kaldur was dangling like a limp doll with his feet almost a foot in the air, hanging off the arm of one of the most notorious super villains in the world, Black Manta. The child was very clearly hurt, there was a stream of blood running down his face from a fresh cut above his eye, and his left arm was dangling in a way that made Hal’s skin itch. Black Manta turned to face the heros, his mask was off so they could all see his face, and he grinned at them.

“Your _Majesty._ ” He said, his voice tainted with insincerity.

Arthur snarled, lunging forward and grabbing the other man by the shoulder and making him drop Kaldur, throwing him against the wall and punching him in the face. Kaldur dropped to the floor, folding like a cheap suit as his good arm clutched his injured arm, curling around himself while he sobbed. Superman kept looking at the floor, scanning it, though Hal knew he was likely looking through it for anyone else trailing Black Manta. Green Arrow returned his arrow to it’s quiver, kneeling down beside Kaldur and checking him over, Batman joining him almost immediately. Arthur was still working on Black Manta, efficiently keeping him from trying to start anymore trouble with them. 

Not knowing how else he could help, Hal created an airtight film around himself with the ring, diving into the water to examine it’s depths and look for anyone who could have accompanied Black Manta. The water was cold, even without having it drench him, Hal could still feel it’s weight and temperature through the rings protective armour. Scanning the pitch dark cave, Hal’s ring wasn’t picking up any life signs other than some fish and a distant pod of Orcas outside of the cave systems. Finding nothing, he turned around and flew out of the water back into the cave.

Not much had changed, Batman and Green Arrow were still crouched beside Kaldur’Ahm, though a shock blanket had been retrieved from the jet and wrapped around him. The kid was still sobbing with his eyes clenched tight, his gills and nostrils flaring while he tried desperately to breath. There was a small pool of blood under his head from the cut over his eyebrow, what part of his face was still visible was obviously pained and his jaw was clenched tight. 

“Hal, would you mind keeping Arthur from killing the guy?” Ollie asked, not looking up from the kid on the floor. 

Confused as to why the task of stopping his friend from becoming a murderer fell to him, Hal moved to Arthur, who was still pinning Black Manta against the wall and was visibly furious. Trying to seem diplomatic, Hal put a hand on Arthurs shoulder, temporarily holding his attention, only to lose it again when Manta shifted and he slammed him against the wall again, making him groan.

“Ahh, what’s the matter _Your Majesty_ , did I break your favourite toy?” He taunted, smiling at him.

“You son of a bitch!” Arthur growled, standing so close to the other man that they were nose to nose. “He’s a kid!”

“My kid!” Manta snapped, rage in his eyes.

Hal felt his chest seize up at the words. Looking between Kaldur and Manta, Hal had to admit that there was certainly a resemblance that could really only be explained by biological relation, the same way Wally resembled his father. Looking at Arthur, Hal didn’t see any sign of shock on his face, and realised that this wasn’t news to him and he must have known.

“You haven’t been a part of his life since he was a damn baby! He isn’t your kid anymore!” Arthur growled, proving that he was wise to the relation of his apprentice and his nemesis.

“He isn’t yours, _Majesty_. Have your own kid” Manta said, looking like a child who had had his favourite toy taken away. “Or can’t you do that?”

“He’s as good as! I’ve kept him safe, I’ve made sure he’s keeping up with his studies, what have you done?” Arthur demanded, pulling Manta away from the wall and slamming him against it, ignoring the slight against him. “You chose your own selfish ends over your fucking son, you haven’t been in his life since he was a year old.”

He broke off, breathing hard. Black Manta actually looked guilty, looking at Kaldur, his son, curled on the floor with a mournful expression. Arthur picked up on his mood, smelling blood in the water and started rubbing salt in the wound.

“They have a term for fathers like you up on the surface, sperm donor, someone who doesn’t have any impact on the kid after his conception.” He taunted.

“I have so! His mother would have told him about me, Sha’lain’a would have made sure he knew who I am!” Manta swore, struggling futilely against Arthur.

Arthur laughed bitterly in his face, his eyes colder than the arctic ocean.

“His mother told him you were a soldier on my personal guard who died valiantly in an assasination attempt on my life. As far as he knows, you died an honourable death before he could swim on his own.” Arthur spat, making Manta still. “She was so ashamed that her son had to live under the shadow of her traitorous husband, she didn’t even tell him your real name! He thinks his father was Cal Durham, whom you killed.”

Manta closed his eyes while Arthur laughed again, so cruel it made Hal shiver.

“You didn’t even tell him who I am.” Manta whispered eventually, sounding choked up.

“Why dishonour the poor kid, he’s better than you will ever be.” Arthur said.

“He would come to me if he knew who I was!” Manta insisted, looking like he was begging and Hal remembered that Manta wasn’t a psychopath, most of his crimes were politically motivated, these were genuine emotions he was displaying.

“Sure!” Arthur agreed, raising his voice to call to Ollie. “What’s the damage, Arrow?”

“Dislocated shoulder for sure, probably some cracked ribs, and he’s going to need stitches for his face.” Green Arrow responded curtly, not looking up from the crying child.

Arthur refocused his attention to Manta, grinning like he knew he’d won.

“If you would really like, we can go over and tell that boy that the man who just ripped his shoulder out of joint is his father, we can and see who he reaches for.” Arthur offered. “Or, I can take him back to Atlantis, get him patched up, and he can keep on believing that his father was a good man who died on the job. Your call.”

Manta swallowed hard, unshed tears in his eyes that he blinked back.

“Keep the boy. He’ll find out eventually, and when he finds out you lied to him, he’ll come running to me.” He promised.

“I doubt that very much.” Arthur argued.

Manta opened his mouth to respond, but Arthur punched him squarely in the face, knocking him out. Dropping his enemy to the ground unceremoniously, Arthur glared down at him for a few seconds before swallowing his anger and stalking over to Kaldur, kneeling down beside Green Arrow. Arthur gently brushed his fingers over his apprentices exposed neck, making his gills stop flaring as he panted.

“He needs to get to the jet.” Batman said. “Wonder Woman has gone to get the stretcher, this kid needs medical attention.” 

Arthur slid his arms under Kaldurs body and lifted him carefully. He shifted the boy around until his head was resting against his shoulder while Arthur’s arms provided support and some warmth. Once Kaldur was situated and settled, Arthur set off down the hallway towards the jet, forcing the others to sprint to catch up with them, Clark slinging Black Mantas unconscious form over his shoulder on his way. They ran into Wonder Woman on their way, the dark haired woman pressing herself and the stretcher against the wall to avoid Arthur with his delicate cargo. She sent Hal a confused look after he had passed, and he felt bad that all he could give her in return was a shrug.

Once on the jet, Arthur claimed a seat with Kaldur on his lap, everybody else finding their own seating while Batman hoped in the pilot's seats. Superman started to restrain Black Manta, cuffing his hands behind his back when Arthur piped up.

“Leave him. We can drop him over the Atlantic on our way back.” He ordered.

“Arthur, he knows where our Data Bank is and he managed to get past our defenses. We need to find out how he did that and who else he told.” Superman argued.

“I don’t care what he knows. We can change our security later, right now, my kid needs a doctor.” He said, not looking up from Kaldur’s pained face. 

“Oh _now_ he’s your kid.” Superman mumbled, though he uncuffed Manta’s arm and moved him closer to the drop spot Arthur and Kaldur had jumped out of earlier.

If Arthur heard what Clark had said, he ignored it, instead wiping away some of the blood on Kaldur’s face with his thumb. Hal sent a quick text to Barry, informing him that he was going to be late getting back so he wouldn’t worry, then he relaxed as much as he could for the journey. Throughout it, Arthur kept muttering comforts to the boy in his native tongue, Kaldur had stopped sobbing, going quiet with occasional moans of pain and discomfort, with tears leaking from his eyes. In accordance to what Arthur had wanted, they dropped a still unconscious Manta off the plane and into the atlantic, Batman hardly slowing down and only dipping as low as he needed to so the impact wouldn’t kill him.

When they arrived at the mountain, Arthur was the first off, immediately greeted by a team of medics who led him and the child he was carrying to the medbay. Out of a morbid curiosity, Hal followed, wanting to make sure that the kid wasn’t too banged up, as well as ask Arthur about his trainee’s parentage. 

When He arrived, Arthur had already laid Kaldur down on a gurney and was speaking into a communicator in Atlantean. When he was done, he hovered near the boy’s head, keeping him from moving around too much while the doctor examined him and took an x-ray.

“He has a few bruised ribs, nothing that won’t heal with time and rest, but I need to give him stitches for his face and I have to put his shoulder back in place. Will his Atlantean physiology be able to handle an alcohol wipe, or should we wait for your delivery boy to bring the medicine?” She asked Arthur.

“The only thing that wouldn’t work would be painkillers and other medicines, our stitches and bandages are very similar to yours.” Arthur assured her.

The doctor nodded, gathering the equipment needed and setting it up to give Kaldur the care he needed. 

“I would advise that we go ahead with his care. I know it will be painful without any medication, but I’m concerned that he could lose consciousness if I don’t get that bleeding under control.” She advised, looking at Arthur for permission.

The king of Atlantis hesitated, looking at his young protege before nodding.

“Do what you think is best.” He said.

“Alright, would you hold his head please? So he doesn’t squirm.” She requested.

Arthur placed his hands on the side of Kaldurs face, sliding his fingers under his head to keep a hold of him, his thumbs on his jaw. The child made a mewling noise when he was moved and tried to turn his head away from the alcohol wipe being pressed into his cut. Arthur made a shushing noise at him, moving one thumb up and down on his jaw bone, trying to comfort him throughout the process.

When the needle first started to touch his skin, he started crying again, mumbling nonsense in Atlantean when the doctor started sewing his wound back together. Arthur stayed patient and kind, pushing his hands away gently when Kaldur tried to bring them up to push the doctor away.

“ _No._ ” He said in Atlantean. “ _I know it hurts, but it needs to happen. I have medicine for you on the way, just be patient, you’re already being very brave._ ” 

Hal was surprised that Arthur was capable of that kind of talk, he was always the last one to deal with children on missions and when he had interacted with them, he had always been tense and awkward. But it seemed he had a soft spot for this one, keeping him still without being scary or harsh, and he had already sent for painkillers, it seemed.

When the doctor had gotten through half the stitches, a messenger from Atlantis turned up, handing the medicine off to Clark, who brought it into the medical bay. It was a syringe filled three quarters of the way with a purple serum that was emitting a slight glow, reminding Hal of a glow stick that was running out of juice. The doctor took it from its case, looking at Arthur for further instruction, given the written ones that came with the syringe were in Atlantean.

“He shouldn’t need more than a third of that, it’s a local anesthetic, so just inject it near the injury.” He instructed calmly.

“What should I do with the remainder?” She asked, looking at the medicine quizzically.

“Save it for his shoulder.” Arthur said.

“So I’ll get a second needle then.” She said, leaving to fetch one but being stopped by Arthur.

“No. No needle you have will be able to get past his skin. Our biology and practices are different, as long as there aren't any toxins on his skin, it’s fine to just reuse the same needle.” He said.

The doctor looked skeptical but obliged, opening another alcohol wipe and disinfecting the area before sliding the needle into his skin. Kaldur tried to turn, arching a little when Arthurs hands stopped him. When the right amount had gone in, the doctor pulled it out carefully, the boy stilling when it was away from him, putting it back in it’s case for the time being, she went back to stitching up his face with less resistance. 

Once she didn’t have to compete with Kaldurs fighting, the doctor made swift work of closing the wound up, tying the final knot moments later and wiping yet another alcohol wipe over the area, then taping a bandage over it. She beckoned Arthur to sit him up, striping her gloves off and replacing them while Arthur helped Kaldur up.

The boy was moving slowly, reaching up and pawing clumsily at the bandage until Arthur pulled his hand down to his lap, away from his face. The doctor started wiping off a spot on his arm with a sanitary wipe, getting ready to give him the needle again to numb the area so she could put his shoulder back into its socket. Kaldur once again tried to move when the needle went in, being held still by his mentor until the remainder of the serum was in his arm and taking effect. Despite not being able to feel his arm, he started putting up a fuss when the doctor started getting his arm into position, pushing her away and turning.

“ _No! Please, don’t touch me miss, please._ ” He begged in Atlantean, turning to Arthur. “ _My King, please, please don’t let her touch me._ ”

Arthur didn’t respond, he just waved away the doctor. The lack of verbal response sent Kaldur into a frenzy, sobbing and begging, Hal’s ring translating every plea.

“ _Your Highness I’m sorry! Really, I am, but please, don’t let her touch me!_ ” He cried.

Arthur moved in front of the child, cupping his cheek with his palm, keeping Kaldur’s eyes on him. The doctor moved a few steps back to give them space, letting Arthur calm him down.

“ _Easy now, deep breaths._ ” Arthur commanded him.

Kaldur took a couple of shuddering breaths, trying to turn his head to no avail.

“ _That’s good, that’s very good. Now we need to get you patched up, I can’t have my best soldier out of commision forever._ ” He praised.

The boy froze, forgetting about the doctor and his arm and focusing on Arthur.

“ _I’m, I’m your best soldier?_ ” He asked quietly, using his good hand to tap himself on the chest.

“ _Of course._ ” Arthur promised. “ _And I need you in perfect condition._ ”

Kaldur was no longer trying to move his head or look for the doctor. Arthur reached around him and started rubbing a circle over his injured shoulder.

“ _Can you feel that? Can you feel my fingers?_ ” He asked.

He moved his hand from Kaldurs face so he could see the fingers dancing over his skin, though he couldn’t feel it. Shaking his head slowly, Kaldur swallowed hard.

“ _Okay, so if you can’t feel my fingers, you won’t feel the doctor when she puts it back in its place.” Arthur reasoned. “And then you can just go to bed and sleep off the medicine_.” 

Kaldur nodded, though he still cried when the doctor came closer. She put her hand on his shoulder near his neck, the other one holding the crook of his elbow. She moved his arm into the position it needed to be before speaking to Kaldur.

“Alright Lovebug, we’re going to go on three, okay?” She asked.

Kaldur nodded, his bottom lip trembling. Arthur wrapped his arm around him, pulling him close and holding the back of his head. The boy buried his face in Arthurs shoulder, shaking hard from fear.

“Okay, here we go, Ready?” The doctor asked. “One, two.”

At ‘two’ she pushed hard, Kaldur’s arm making a little ‘click’ noise as it went back into place. Kaldur shrieked when he felt the pressure, dissolving into tears and going limp against Arthurs shoulder. The doctor gave Arthur a few moments to comfort him, the King of the Seven Seas rubbing his back and whispering more comforts to him. Eventually, the doctor slipped in beside them, waiting for Arthur to push Kaldur back and then placing his arm in a sling.

“All done, you did very well.” She praised Kaldur while fitting him with the sling. “Now you can just go to bed.”

Arthur laid him back down, following the doctor over to the counter when she beckoned him.

“He needs to stay here tonight. I don’t want him trying to swim, his arm is very fragile.” She ordered. 

“Alright, I’ll keep him relaxed.” Arthur agreed, acknowledging Hal for the first time since he had come in. “You don’t think Spooks’ll mind if he stays here tonight, do you?”

Looking at the little boy barely awake on the gurney, Hal couldn’t imagine Bats would have an issue. Though, under the best of circumstances, Batman probably wouldn’t have had an issue. While Gotham's Knight was known for being scary and unapproachable, he had a soft spot for children, and would generally turn down the abrasiveness.

  
“Nah, get him to bed.” Hal said.

Arthur nodded, approaching the bed and scooping Kaldur up. He instantly wrapped his good arm around the adults neck, shifting to get comfortable in his arms. Hal walked Arthur and his passenger to the fourway that turned to the residential areas or communal depending on the direction, Arthur turned off to the bedrooms while Hal left for the lounge.

Ollie was already on one of the couches, texting on his phone. He looked up when Hal came in, nodding at him.

“Kid okay?” He asked.

“Yeah he’s good. Arthur took him to his bed to sleep off the drugs.” Hal replied.

“That’s good.” He said.

Hal sat on the couch, pulling out his phone and texting Barry with an update. He didn’t want to leave without talking to Arthur first, knowing that a lot of things had happened today that he probably needed some support for. Within moments, Arthur wandered in, he had changed into more casual clothing, his uniform being replaced with sweats and a t-shirt, he also had a glass of water. 

“So shits gone down today.” Hal observed when he sat down.

Arthur just nodded, so Hal dove in head first.

“I heard your conversation with Manta.” He said simply, letting Arthur carry it from there.

“It’s not his fault his father’s a piece of shit.” Arthur growled.

“I’m not saying it is, I’m just saying I heard the conversation.” He said.

“Kaldur has never even met his father.” Arthur promised. “Except for today. He was banished from Atlantis before Kaldur was even ten months old. Sha’lain’a told him that his father was a good friend of hers that Manta killed in his betrayal, she had enough pictures of himself with him that she could sell it.”

Hal nodded, letting the story unfold on its own as Arthur unloaded. Ollie also put his phone away to give his friend his full attention.

“I kept an eye on Sha, after David was expelled. She got sick with rot gill, there was nothing doctors could do, she wrote me a letter asking that I keep an eye on Kaldur’Ahm, make sure his father couldn’t get his hands on him and ruin him. Sha’s parents wanted nothing to do with a killer's son, and David's parents are dead, so Kal just wound up in a state home. I called every week to make sure he was alright and the man I talked to always said he was fine.”

Arthur broke off to take a long drink of water, looking at the half full glass and continuing.

“One day, I made my call and a woman picked up. She told me that Kal had been almost completely nonverbal for weeks, he did nothing but train and sleep, they had to bribe him to eat.”

“He was depressed.” Ollie observed sadly.

“Yeah. I went down to check on him, his father is garbage but he’s also his mother's son and she was a kind, loyal woman who was the first to offer assistance until she fell ill and she was a close friend of Mera, it wasn’t too much to ask that I keep an eye on her boy. The first thing I saw when I was shown to the training grounds was him, he was clearly exhausted and obviously over exerting himself. I sat down with the woman I spoke to on the phone and she told me that they were concerned for him, he didn’t have any friends and spent any free time training.

“I went home and spoke with Mera, I told her everything I had learned about her friend’s child and asked her what we could do. It was her who suggested I take the boy as my apprentice, given that he clearly had a drive to be a warrior, and then his father wouldn’t be able to get to him. I took him under my wing and he immediately exceeded my expectations, so I started trying to coax him out of that depression he had fallen into.

“He’s been doing so well, but he still over trains himself, he insists on being the first one up and the last one to bed. I’ve been trying to get him to relax, but I can’t tell him that or he finds an excuse to do something.”

He drained the remainder of his water, rubbing the back of his neck.

“I was hoping that this Arctic expedition would be a fun, easy way to lighten him up. It would show him I know he’s capable, and I was hoping to be able to talk to him about my concerns for his health afterwards on the way back to Atlantis.” He confessed. “But then Manta showed up.”

“That is rough Man.” Ollie sympathized.

“I don’t know what to do!” He groaned. “It feels like I’m taking one step forward and two steps back.”

He put the empty glass down and moved his now free hand to the back of his neck.

“He told me the other day that he wanted to be like his father. And he sounded so earnest I got a little scared, I don’t think I could bring myself to fight him if he joined his father.”

Ollie grimaced, leaning forward to be slightly closer to Arthur.

“Okay, that sounds bad, but Arthur, you’ve told him his father was a good man. He doesn’t know that his father is a murderer, you and his mother have told him that his father was a brave man who died doing his due diligence to his country and king.” Ollie reminded him. “He’s trying to copy that, not Black Manta.”

“And you can still talk to him about his health. He’s going to need rest after this, keep him in the palace with you, keep him company and let him know you care about him. This certainly hasn’t gone as planned, but you can still open the door to making him take care of himself.” Hal pointed out. “You did an excellent job with him with the doctor, just keep that up.”

“Maybe you’re right.” Arthur mumbled, massaging his neck. “I’m gonna go check on him, have a nice night guys.”

The king stood up, taking his glass and heading to the doorway. Pausing when Hal called out to him.

For what it’s worth, I think you’re doing a great job so far.” He said.

“Same.” Ollie offered.

“Thank you.” Arthur said after a beat. “That means a lot coming from you two.”


	28. After the Mission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hal, Oliver, and Arthur wind down after the disaster of a mission that just went down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter isn't very long and it's mostly just some fluff. enjoy.

  
Hal touched down on his front porch far later than he would have liked, around eleven thirty at night. The street was only lit with street lamps and every window in every house was dark with the curtains drawn except his own. He quietly turned the knob and pushed, stepping into the dark entrance and locking the door behind him. He didn’t even bother putting his boots in the closet, he just made sure that he wouldn’t trip on them when he went back upstairs. 

Making his way into the kitchen, Hal shouldered off his jacket and threw it haphazardly over a dining chair, grabbing a glass out of the cupboard and filling it with water from the sink, gulping it down rapidly and refilling it, taking slower sips as he made his way to the living room. The only light source was the illuminated lamp beside the couch, casting light and shadows in the room. Barry was leaned against the arm of the couch, his book still open on his lap, but he was asleep, there was an empty mug beside the lamp but nothing else, and Hal suspected that his husband had fallen asleep waiting for him.

He took a moment to take in the scene while he drank his water, bookmarking Barry’s page for him and moving the book to the coffee table. He was already in his pajamas, an old pair of sweatpants and an oversized Ferris Airstrip shirt he had stolen from Hal protecting him from the cold. Hal took some time to look around, noticing that while his husband was downstairs, his little boy wasn’t, so he must be up in his bed, or he had fallen asleep somewhere else. 

Setting his cup beside Barry’s mug, he went to go check that his nephew was where he should be. He used his ring to light up the stairs, knowing Wally had a habit of lurking on them when he wanted to watch them, he kept it lit but dimmed it when he got to the hallway in front of Wally’s room, cracking the door and peeking in. The child was where he was supposed to be, tucked in bed under his blankets soundly asleep, curled on his side facing the door. Shutting the door behind him, Hal went back downstairs to the living room.

Once there, Hal carefully lifted Barry up and rested his head on his shoulder to bring him safely to bed. Navigating the stairs and pushing the door to their bedroom open with his back, he used his ring to draw back the blankets and lay his partner on the bed before tucking him in with a kiss on the forehead. 

He left for the bathroom to take a quick shower, washing the sweat and the stress of the day down the drain with the smell of cedarwood taking its place. Though he was tired and wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and sleep for the rest of the week, he took the time to wash his hair and towel dry it with one hand while he pulled his pajama pants on with the other. He hung the wet towel on the rack, brushing his teeth with uncoordinated hands and making his way back to the bedroom.

He didn’t get into bed right away, he had one more thing he wanted to do before he turned in. He crept down the hallway to Wally’s room once more, pushing the door open and sneaking into the room. He knelt down beside the bed and put his hand on the little boy’s shoulder, giving him a gentle kiss on the side of his head. He had wished him sweet dreams and given him a hug before he had left for the mountain, but after watching Kaldur get so hurt, he wanted to reaffirm to himself that his child was safe and warm in his own home.

“I love you sweet boy.” He whispered to him.

He brushed the red hair off his nephews face, kissing his head again before tucking him in again and leaving the room, pulling the door until it touched the frame, but didn’t click shut. The walk to his own space was hasty and slightly disoriented, he was trying to be quiet but he was exhausted. When he finally crawled into his own bed, he pulled Barry close to his chest, feeling his breaths with his own, and falling asleep to his rhythmic heartbeat.

~~~~

Arthur stood next to his bed in the mountain, unsure of what to do. He had brought Kaldur to his quarters to sleep off the anesthesia, putting him in the bed and covering him with the blankets, he didn’t have an issue taking care of his trainee after his horrific day, but now he had a new dilemma. It was currently very late, and he would also like to go to sleep, which was difficult, given that there was a child sleeping in it and now he wasn’t sure what to do. He could just go home to Atlantis and come back for Kaldur the next morning, but he didn’t want to leave him in a strange place alone, especially when Kaldur still hadn’t fully mastered english and was recovering from a small handful of injuries, so he wasn’t sure what to do. 

On one hand, the bed was big enough that he and Kaldur could undoubtedly sleep comfortably together, and then he could be there if he needed him in the night. On the other hand, he wasn’t Kaldurs father or even his legal guardian, he wasn’t sure if it would be appropriate to share a bed with a child who wasn’t related to him. He did know that both Roy and Wally had slept with their guardians in the same bed, he had shared the picture of Wally and Hal with everyone, but he hadn’t known Kaldur as long as Ollie had known Roy, and he knew that Wally had his own set of issues that probably affected the scenario in which he had allowed Hal to hold him. 

Whipping out his phone, he sent a desperate text to his wife, hoping she was awake and near her phone.

‘ _Mera I have a problem._ ’

He sat down on the edge of the bed to wait for a reply, hoping it came quickly. While he waited, he checked on Kaldur, making sure his bandage was properly taped and in place over his stitches, he also checked his shoulder that had been out of place, ensuring that it was in a comfortable position and that the sling was secured around his shoulder. He looked down at his phone when it buzzed.

‘ _What did you do now?_ ’

‘ _Kaldur’Ahm is sleeping and I don’t know what to do’_

_‘What?!?!?’_

Taking a deep breath, he explained his situation to his wife.

‘ _I put Kal to sleep off the drugs in my bed, now I’m not sure where I’m going to sleep_ ’

For a moment, his phone was silent and still, then it buzzed multiple times.

‘ _Youre an idiot’_

_‘Sleep in your bed’_

_‘I really dont think that’s a hard conclusion to come to’_

Smiling to himself, he sent back a response.

‘ _Am I allowed to?_ ’ 

' _Like_ ’

‘ _Would that make him uncomfortable?_ ’

He regretted saying it, but he didn’t really know much about Kaldur’Ahm’s personal preferences regarding affection. Having known Roy for a few years, he knew that he didn’t like it when people he didn’t know very well grabbed him, and he had overheard Oliver and Dinah discussing how he had to be in a very particular mood to sleep in their bed. He had no idea how Kaldur would respond to waking up in the same bed as him. His thoughts were broken by his phone going off.

‘ _Just be a normal person. It’s just for tonight so just don’t choke on your pride and go to sleep._ ’

Rolling his eyes and smiling, Arthur got up off the bed, careful not to disturb the boy on his bed.

‘ _Thanks for the advice. Good night I love you._ ’

He grabbed a pair of pajama pants and a tank top from the drawers in his quarters and went to the bathroom to change. He quickly striped out of his uniform and changed into his pjs, checking his phone when it buzzed as he was brushing his teeth.

‘ _I love you too_ ’

When he got back into the bedroom, he took a moment to adjust Kaldur, draping another blanket over him. He walked around to the other side of the bed, carefully crawling into bed without upsetting his apprentice. He laid back against the pillow that Kaldur wasn’t using, shifting slightly to get comfortable, after spending a few moments to make sure they were both comfortable, he looked at Kaldur’s sleeping form.

“ _Good night my boy. Tomorrow will be better._ ” He promised in Atlantean.

And then he went to sleep, intending to keep that promise.

~~~~

Oliver rolled his shoulders as he stepped through the Zeta Tube into the Arrow Cave, now that he was back in his own home, he let himself properly relax. It was left without question that the mission had gone to complete shit, with a little boy winding up very hurt because of an oversight he hadn’t been responsible for. The weight in his chest was woefully familiar, as he got it every time a child was hurt while he was under the mask, and he knew that it would only go away once he had made sure Roy was safe. 

He made quick work of cleaning and caring for his bow, setting it in it’s locked case and putting it in the weapons cabinet. From there, He sorted the arrows in his quiver into their appropriate categories and put them away beside the bow. After that, he changed out of his uniform into some comfy clothes, throwing his dirty uniform into the wash, turning it on to run, and rushing upstairs to see his family.

He found Dinah in the living room by following the sounds of the television. His wife was sitting in the corner of the couch in her cookie monster pajama bottoms and a gray tank top, watching Last Week Tonight on the T.V. To his delight, Roy was with her, curled up asleep on the couch with his head in her lap while she traced the tips of her fingers over his cheek and neck. 

He stopped in the doorway for a moment, taking in the beautifully domestic scene and letting it ease the stress of the mission. When Dinah saw him, he rushed over to her, kissing her lovingly and running his fingers through her hair. Dinah removed her hand from Roy’s neck, she held Ollie’s face tenderly between her hands.

“Things didn’t go well today, did they?” She asked, looking him in the eyes.

Oliver got onto his knees in front of her, letting her comb through his hair with her fingers.

“We got ambushed by Black Manta, Kaldur was alone in the cave with the ocean access. We heard him screaming from the computer, by the time we got there he had a cut to his face that needed stitches, his shoulder had been yanked out of place, and I’m told there was some damage to his ribs.” He whispered while Dinah ran her fingers around his hairline and down his scalp.

“Poor little thing, that’s an awful first mission.” She muttered. “Where is he now?”

“Staying at the mountain. Arthur’s taking care of him.” He told her.

“Good. I’m glad for him.” Dinah said, looking down at Roy, still asleep on the couch with his head in her lap.

“Speaking of little boys, would you like to get this one to bed?” She asked.

Ollie didn’t say anything, he just slipped his arms under his sleeping son and lifted him, making sure not to wake him. Roy wasn’t heavy, not by a long shot, but he had grown significantly since he was nine. Ollie carried him to his bedroom, stepping around articles of clothes on the floor and laying him in his bed. He took care to tuck him in properly, drawing the covers up to his chin, making sure the curtains were shut tight enough to keep the moonlight out. When he had made sure Roy was comfortable, he kissed him on the forehead, brushing the hair out of his face and smiling.

“Goodnight, my brilliant son.” He whispered.

He made it silently out of the room, shutting the door quietly behind him. He made a pit stop at his shared bedroom with his wife to change into his pajamas, then rejoined Dinah in the living room.

She was much the same as she had been before he had left, watching the T.V while she waited for his return. Ollie didn’t waste anytime flopping onto the couch, resting his head on her shoulder. Dinah kissed him, bumping the side of her head against the top of his.

“What’s Ol’ John Oliver talking about tonight?” He asked, watching the comedian on screen.

“Charter Schools.” She answered.

Ollie hummed at that, shifting to get comfortable while he watched the show. He could feel her chest and shoulders move and shift when she laughed and Oliver could have only felt that sensation for the rest of his life and been content with that.

When the end credits started cycling through the screen, Dinah turned off the T.V. The couple soundlessly made their way to bed, brushing their teeth in the adjoining bathroom beforehand. 

“I think we should talk to Hal and Barry tomorrow, just to discuss New Years and how they want to pull this off.” Dinah said as they crawled under the covers of their bed.

“Sounds great, I’ll shoot Hal a text tomorrow morning.” Ollie agreed.

“I’m really nervous about this. I want this to be a good experience for Wally, I really want him to look forward to being near us.” Dinah reiterated, cuddling closer to Ollie.

“It will be. Roy's already talking about setting up a little fortress in the cinema room, I’m sure we’ll be able to make this a fun trip for Wally. We all just need to be careful and mindful about how we act.” He reassured her.

“If you’re sure.” She said.

“I am.” Ollie promised, kissing her. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” She whispered. “Good night.”

“Good night.” He wished. 

The two fell asleep snuggling, letting their stress fall away for the night in the safety of each other’s presence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone is enjoying the story, I am really enjoying writing it. I have had a few questions about Dick's appearance, don't worry, he will be here. It will just take a little bit, there's some things I need to get written first.


	29. Things Are Looking Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hal and Barry cement their holiday plans with Wally, as well as talk with Jay and Joan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is another Fluffy chapter for your enjoyment, hope you enjoy. Just a heads up, these next few should be mostly fluff and cuddles.

Hal was helping Barry chop up vegetables for their dinner when the blonds cell phone rang, Barry grabbed it out of his pocket, checking the caller ID while tending to the beef on the stove.

“It’s Joan.” He announced.

“Answer it.” Hal said, wiping his hands on a towel.

Barry hit the ‘accept call’ button, and turned on the speaker.

“Hello.” He greeted.

“Hello! Barry Dear, it’s so good to hear your voice!” Joan replied, “How are you?”

“I’m well Joan, how are you?”

“I’m just fine.”

“Hey Joan!” Hal said, standing beside Barry.

“Oh Hal! Hello Dearest, I didn’t know you were here too!” Joan exclaimed, “How are you, how’s work?”

“I’m fine, thank you for asking. Work is going well.” He told her, “How’s life on the farm?”

“Oh it’s just fine, our ducks are a little mad that the pond’s frozen over, but Jay and I set up a little kiddie pool in the barn so they can still splash around.” She said, and Hal could hear the little smile in her voice.

Hal smiled, picturing the small flock of ducks on the Garricks farm. He knew that both Jay and Joan were very peculiar about how their animals were treated, their barn was heated and insulated, always clean, and the animals got regular check ups from the local vet. Hal had visited with Barry and Clark, and he had seen first hand how kind and patient Jay was with his creatures.

“I’m glad to hear it Joan.” Barry said, shifting the beef with his spatula.

“Thank you Dear.” Joan said, “Listen Honey, the reason I’m calling. Jay and I wanted to know if you two had come up with a plan or the holidays. I know you two were going to talk about it, and I’m not trying to rush you, but I was wondering where you were at with our decision.”

“We have talked about, and I’m glad you called. We think that it would be wonderful if you and Jay wanted to meet with Wally, we’re really looking forward to introducing him to you two. We’re going to be hosting a family dinner on the Friday before Christmas, if you two would be interested in coming. We were hoping that everyone would show up Friday, stay for dinner, spend the night, and then we could have a big breakfast the next morning. We would love it if you two would join us.” Barry invited.

Hal heard Joan make a little squealing noise on the other end, calling to Jay. He couldn’t hear everything the other pair said, but he could hear Jay’s whoop of happiness when the conversation between them reached its conclusion. There was some shuffling and then Jay’s voice was heard loud and clear through the speaker.

“Barry! Hal! We would love to come, thank you for inviting us!” Jay said in a rush, “Is there anything you want us to bring? Joanie’s already decided to bring a pumpkin pie, there’s no stopping that train, but is there something else we can bring to take a load off your backs?”

Barry chuckled, looking at his phone fondly as though he could actually see the other couple through it.

“No, thank you Jay, we should be alright. But thank you for the offer.” He waved them off.

“Alright, alright. Just send the word if that changes. And while it’s on my mind, do you two have any special rules regarding your little boy?” Jay asked.

“What do you mean ‘rules’?” Hal asked.

“I mean like, what he eats, what he can play with, if he can be held. Stuff like that.” Jay clarified.

Hal gave Barry a confused look, wondering if he had had a conversation with them that he hadn’t heard about. His husband just shrugged in response, apparently also very confused.

“No, we don’t have any food restrictions, and as long as it’s not knives, I don’t really care what he plays with.” Barry told him, “But I would really appreciate it if you would just ask or let him know if you’re going to touch him or pick him up. I’m not really sure how Wally will react if you just grab him, he hasn’t had much interaction with adults other than us.”

“Okay, and that’s what I was about to ask, how socialized he was with people.” Jay explained, “I know that he hasn’t had the best lessons on how people should behave and hold themselves in his presence, I just want to know that I’m not going to scare him.”

“That’s very thoughtful of you Jay, thank you. We’re pretty sure that this shouldn’t be overwhelming for him, but if it does get to be too much for him, we can just put him to bed.” Hal reassured the older man. “At the risk of sounding rude, we’re kinda hoping to use you two as a test run. A friend of ours invited us to his place for new years, and all of our friends are going to be there. Our thoughts are that, if he can’t handle you two, he most certainly won’t enjoy a new years celebration.” 

“That sounds like the best course of action.” Jay agreed, “So you have decided to introduce him to the rest of your gang?”

“Yes, we have. We’ll both be there, he’ll be staying in the same room as us, and if it gets to be too much for him, we’ll bring him home.” Barry told him.

Hal could see that Barry was getting nervous while explaining their plan, and wrapped an arm around his shoulders in comfort. He knew that, while Jay and Joan weren’t related to Barry, and he hadn’t met them until he was already an adult, he still looked to the two of them for guidance and advice. If Jay didn’t agree with their plan, or thought they were doing something wrong, it would hurt Barry’s heart.

“Sounds like a good plan. I can tell you kids are already doing a better job than I would have. There’s a damn good reason Joan and I never had children.” Jay said, “But I have rehabilitated race horses, and when you’re introducing them to the rest of the team, it’s always good to keep them close so you can shut it down if it goes south.”

Barry smiled, looking relieved that his mentor approved of his plan.

Hal burst out laughing, “Okay, Jay, our eight year old human child is very different from a race horse!”

“Christ, he’s eight?” Jay exclaimed,” Coulda sworn from the pictures you sent that he was a helluva lot younger than that. Anyway, I’m not saying keep the youngin on a lead or whatever, I’m just saying it’s wise to have him close to you so you can keep an eye on him. I’ve met your gang, and there are some big, strong fella’s in it, Jesus, I was a little put off by a few of em, and I’m a grown man. Little boy like your Wally would be plumb terrified if he came across your buddy Clark.”

Hal laughed again, slapping his hand across his mouth. Barry was also giggling, shaking his head at Jay, who had, evidently, heard them laughing.

“Like I said, there’s a reason I never had kids. But I’ll be a damn fine grandpa! You oughta bring him ‘round sometime, the neighbours dog, Clover, is due to have puppies in about two months and I’ve been thinking that a cattle dog would be a real blessing to have, now that I’ve got those sheep.” Jay rambled, “And you know kids and puppies get on better than milk and cookies, could be something fun for him.”

“We’ll talk about it, Jay. Thank you for the invitation.” Barry giggled.

“Oh it’s not a problem, you know you and yours are always welcome on our farm. Sides, I reckon it’ll be educational for the boy, I’ll show him how to milk a cow, they don’t teach that in schools anymore!”

Barry was laughing, but Hal leaned over to whisper in his ear so he wouldn’t be heard by Jay.

“Our boy is fifty pounds soaking wet after a meal, he is not going near a one ton animal.” Hal said firmly.

“Agreed.” Barry whispered back, still giggling.

“Speaking of school,” Joan piped up, “Has Wally started yet?”

“No, he hasn’t.” Barry informed, “We are hoping to send him back in the new year, but we have to talk to his doctor about that first, and we need to talk to his school about what grade he’ll be going into.”

“Oh.” Joan said, sounding worried. “I thought he was out of the hospital, why does he need to see a doctor, if you don’t mind my asking?”

“He is out of the hospital, and he’s doing very well. But he was in a coma for two weeks and there has been a lot of damage done to his brain.” Barry started, “We want to make sure that there isn’t anything that might still be wrong. We’ve kept him home as long as we have to make sure his entire body has had a chance to heal and we don’t want to send him back too soon.” 

“We’re just taking him to a neurologist, who will probably give him some tests, just to make sure that he is recovered enough to reenter school. We also have an appointment with a therapist scheduled for him, and we’re hoping to get her opinion on whether he can go back to school.” Hal added.

There was a moment of silence on the other line, and Hal could have sworn he heard a glass being set down harder than needed. 

“Right, of course.” Joan muttered into the phone. “I forgot that Barry told me he was in a coma, goodness me. And the damage that man, that awful man… Oh, and he’s just a little boy.”

She took a shaky breath, sounding like she was on the verge of tears. Hal could hear Jay whisper to her.

“He’s safe with Barry and Hal now Joanie, they’re just playing it safe.” He whispered to his wife, “And he’s well enough now, you’ve seen the pictures, he’s walking and smiling and eating by himself.”

Hal tugged Barry closer, kissing his head. They could still hear Jay murmuring to Joan on the other line, but he ignored them. He knew Wally was upstairs, playing with his toys, and he didn’t want him to overhear their conversation, so he was keeping an ear open for him so he could shut everything down if he came downstairs.

“Has he met anyone from your gang other than the Queens?” Joan asked eventually.

“No, not yet.” Barry answered, adding the vegetables to the beef and stirring them together. “I feel kind of bad, we’re just kinda going to throw him off the deep end for this.”

Joan giggled, and it was a teary, fragile thing, but it gave Barry just a little more reassurance that she was alright.

“As long as you too are there, I’m sure he’ll be alright. Oh! I can’t wait to meet him.” She sighed.

‘We’re both really excited to have him meet you guys too, I know he’s going to love you.” Hal promised, “But, just so you know, we are planning on telling him that you’re relatives of Barry’s, please play along.”

“We will, we will.” Jay agreed.

“And we can’t wait to meet him, but we’ll let you go now.” Joan piped up, “I’m sure you kids are very busy, and you don’t need us talking your ears off all night long.”

“You know it’s always a pleasure talking to you Joan, give us a shout anytime.” Barry told her.

“Or just have Jay run you over, he’s retired, he hasn't got anything else to do.” Hal teased.

“Yeah, yeah. Brat.” Jay mumbled, good naturedly. “Have a nice evening you two.”

“Good night.” Barry signed off.

Clicking the ‘end call’ button, Barry slipped his phone back into his back pocket and went back to cooking their dinner. Hal kissed his head and gave him a quick hug, grabbing the dirty dishes they weren’t going to use anymore and started washing them in the sink.

“So we need to talk to Wally about what our holiday plans are.” Hal said.

“Mhmm.” Barry agreed, “We can talk about it with him after supper, if you think that would be the best time.”

“That sounds like the best time. And I think we should mention the therapist appointment tonight as well.” Hal tacked on.

“We have the appointment, I wanted to talk to you about it later. They wanted to know what time would work best for us, and I think it would be best if both of us were waiting for him afterwards.” Barry said.

“Alright, I’ll talk to Carol about getting off early.” Hal said.

“Excellent. And we can talk to Wally about this after supper as well.” Barry exclaimed.

Hal nodded, going back to his dishes while the smell of stir fry filled up the kitchen. When the dishes were drying in the rack, he went back to the stove, hugging Barry from behind while he finished cooking, he separated a portion of the stirfry from the rest, putting it in the oven to keep hot while he added curry paste to the remainder of what was in the pan.

“Bruce and I spoke today.” Barry brought up.

“Oh, how is he?” Hal asked.

“He’s good. He asked if I wanted to go have dinner with him tomorrow, I told him I would have to talk with you about it.” Barry answered.

“Are you asking my permission to go have dinner with your best friend?” Hal laughed.

“No, I just wanted to know if you would be okay watching Wally by yourself.” Barry huffed, elbowing Hal in the ribs. “I don’t want to just leave without telling where I am.”

Hal nuzzled the top of Barry’s head, pressing a couple of kisses into the soft hair.

“Of course I’m okay watching Wally for the night.” He said, “I hope you have a fun evening with Bruce.”

“Thank you.” Barry said.

“Just remember to use a condom.” Hal added.

Barry elbowed him again, harder this time, making him bent over as he tried to avoid it. He took a few steps back once he could breathe again, watching Barry glower at him while he stabbed at the stir fry with his spatula. When Hal kept laughing at him, he grabbed one of the chefs knives from the drying rack and pointed it at him.

“I swear, I’ll stab you.” He threatened, still blushing from Hal’s teasing.

“You could do that.” Hal agreed.

He lunged forward, grabbing Barry’s wrist and twisting it behind his back, forcing him to drop the knife. Hal caught it with a light construct and set it back in the drying rack tugging Barry back against him with his wrist still trapped behind his back.

“Or I could keep you right here.” He finished.

“You can’t keep me here, I can get out.” Barry challenged, squirming in his grasp.

Hal started kissing along his pulse, feeling his heartbeat beneath his lips.

“Do it then.” He dared.

“Okay.” Barry accepted.

Before Hal could even begin formulating a response, Barry hooked his foot behind his left leg, pulling his foot out from under him. When Hal adjusted to balance on one leg, he loosened his grip on Barry’s wrist, which the blond used to twist out of his grip. Now that he was free, Barry spun around faster than Hal could see, dropped into a crouch, and knocked Hal’s legs out from under him.

He hit the ground hard, groaning a little as he did so. Before he could start to get up, Barry was on top of him, sitting on his chest and pinning his shoulders to the ground with his knees, sliding his feet under his back so he couldn’t properly turn to shake him off.

“I win.” He declared.

“Not from where I am.” Hal teased.

“Hal, I’m sitting on you.” Barry pointed out.

“Perfect.” Hal said, making Barry start to blush so he egged on, “If you’d like to move forward a bit, that would make it even better.”

“Oh my god.” Barry gasped, turning bright red.

He instantly started to scramble off of Hal, hiding his face with his hand. Hal laughed, grabbing his legs to try and keep him still.

“Come on Baby, don’t be shy!” He pushed.

Barry tugged at his grip, freeing his legs and using his speed to get up and out of his husband’s reach. Hal kept laughing while he got up, climbing to his feet and pulling Barry back into a hug.

“I love making you blush.” He teased, “You look so pretty when you do.”

“I hate you.” Barry grumbled, hiding his face in Hal’s shirt.

“Mmm.” Hal hummed, lifting Barry’s chin up, “No you don’t.”

Barry smiled at him, shaking his head fondly. Hal wanted to keep teasing Barry, but he heard little footsteps on the stairs, creeping towards the kitchen. He tapped Barry’s shoulder, tilting his head towards the doorway to let him know about their child’s presence before he came in.

Wally poked his head around the doorway, looking at them with obvious caution in his eyes. Hal was leaning against the counter with Barry held close to his chest, a picture of domesticity. 

“Is everything okay?” Wally asked.

“Yeah Sweetheart, of course it is.” Barry answered him.

Wally took a few tentative steps into the room, looking like he might bolt at any second. Hal was wondering what set him off, as he was clearly on edge. He knew that Wally would listen into their conversations, that he would sit on the stairs and watch them, but he didn’t know how much he had heard, if he really had been eavesdropping.

“I thought I heard someone fall.” He said, closer to the fridge now, with a clear line of sight between him and his uncles.

“Oh, there was some water on the floor and I slipped.” Hal lied, “I mopped most of it up, but watch where you step, I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Hal watched as relief dawned on Wally’s face, all of the apprehension draining from his body when he heard the explanation for the crash.

“Oh! Okay!” He said, looking down at the floor, keeping an eye out for wet spots.

Hal extended his arm to the boy, inviting him closer to them. When he was within arms reach, he scooped him up, bringing him into their embrace. Barry wrapped his arm around Wally’s midsection, the other around Hal’s waist and pulled the three closer together, feeling his little boy relax with them while he was held, feeling his heart ache when he had to pull back.

“Dinner is almost ready boys, so why don’t you two set the table.” He instructed, detangling himself from the hug to bring supper to the table.

“As you wish.” Hal quoted, kissing Barry’s head once more before carrying Wally over to get the plates from the cupboard.

Barry shook his head to himself, watching Hal hand forks to Wally for him to hold, carrying the plates and the child over to the counter, only setting Wally down when he had to.

~~~~ 

Barry set his plate in the dishwasher behind Hal and Wally. His nephew was chattering away to Hal about the lego town he had been building upstairs, letting himself be led to the living room and onto the couch. It made him happy to think about how far Wally had come, straying so far from the terrified shell of a child he had been when he had first been brought home. Now he was bouncy and happy, talking Hal’s ear off while the older man listened intently to him.

“Wally, Sweetheart.” Barry interrupted, “Your Uncle Hal and I wanted to talk to you about something.”

Wally froze mid-sentence, the smile sliding off his face. He looked like a baby deer caught in the headlights, staring down certain death with no way out.

“Nothing bad!” Barry assured him quickly, “We just wanted to give you the rundown about our holiday plans.”

Hal lifted Wally up and sat him on his lap. He kissed Wally’s head and rubbed his back while Barry sat down beside them.

“Everything’s okay Baby. We just want to let you know what’s going on.” Hal promised.

“Okay.” Wally whispered.

“You’re Uncle Hal and I have invited your Auntie Iris and Grandpa over for dinner on the Friday before Christmas, along with two of my older relatives. Their names are Jay and Joan Garrick, they’re very nice and really excited to meet you.” Barry started.

Wally nodded, leaning into Hal’s embrace. Barry could see that he was a little on edge, obviously nervous about the dinner and the new people. Hoping to ease his anxiety, Barry pulled out his phone and flipped through his gallery, finding a picture of himself with the older pair.

“Here, this is Joan and Jay.” He said, showing Wally the picture.

Wally took the phone from him, looking at the picture closely, examining the people in the picture. Hal kept rubbing his back and cuddling him, giving Barry a smile while the pair waited for Wally to finish his judgement of the picture. When he finished examining the picture, he handed Barry’s phone back to him.

“Okay.” He said.

“The plan is for them to get here on Friday afternoon, we’ll have dinner that night, your Auntie and Grandpa will stay the night here, Jay and Joan want to have their own hotel room, but the next morning, we’ll all have a big breakfast and spend the morning together, and then everyone will go home in the early afternoon.” Barry said, breaking it down for Wally.

“Okay.” Wally echoed, looking a lot more relaxed.

“Okay, and if you feel worn out, at any point, you can just let Hal or I know, and we can go have some quiet time in your room.” Barry assured, “We can even think of a signal ahead of time, so you won’t even have to say anything, sound good?”

“Sounds good.” Wally answered, smiling at him.

“The next thing we wanted to talk to you about was new years.” Hal started, “Ollie invited us to go spend it at his place, he’s hosting the New Years party with all of our friends this year, and Barry and I wanted to take you.”

“Will Roy be there?” Wally asked, perking up.

“Of course, he lives there. All of our other friends will be there too, but we’ve talked to Oliver and he’s invited us to come a day early so you won’t have to meet everyone all at once, you’ll stay in the same room as Barry and I, and we’re going to bring some of your books and toys, so you can just go to our room and have some time to yourself if you need some space.” Hal told him.

“And if, at any point, you decide you really hate it, and you want to go home, you just come tell us, we’ll take you home, no questions asked.” Barry added.

“Promise?” Wally asked.

“Promise.” Barry swore.

“Cross my heart.” Hal promised.

“Will your friends be mad?” Wally whispered.

“No.” Hal swore, “No, they won’t be. We’ve told them about you, and we only agreed to come on the condition that you would be able to come and tap out at any time. And they know about you, and about how we came to have you in our lives and they’re all very kind, gentle people. They’re all very excited to meet you, but they won’t just grab you and hug you.”

“You don’t even have to hang out with them, if you don’t want to.” Barry said. “You can spend all your time hanging out with Roy, Ollie told me he’s already talking about claiming the den for you two, and you can go play in his room, or in the one we’re staying in.”

“Okay.” Wally said, slowly.

Barry moved closer to the other two, cupping Wally’s cheek and tracing a circle with his thumb. He and Hal took a few moments to cuddle with him, letting him come to terms with the plans and what they would look like. Barry kissed his forehead, leaning to rest his head against Hal’s shoulder, encouraging Wally to relax with them and snuggle.

Hal just kept both of them close, holding Wally on his lap with an arm around him, the other around Barry’s shoulders. He could feel Wally start to relax, feeling his hand near his chest, toying with his dog tags. He huffed a laugh, moving his hand to Wally’s head, carding his fingers through his red hair, the results were the same as they had been at the hospital, the little boy going completely lax against him.

They all stayed like that for a while, unwinding and staying still while they relaxed. Barry waited until Wally had been calm and unstressed for five minutes before bringing up their next point.

“There’s another thing Hal and I wanted to talk to you about Wally.” He started, “We booked you an appointment with a therapist for next week.”

“What’s a therapist?” Wally asked.

“It’s a kind of doctor.” Hal answered, “They help you sort through your feelings and find ways to identify and understand them. Some people have them to deal with mental illness, others to help them work through trauma, Barry and I thought that speaking with one might help you.”

“Will they give me needles?” Wally asked, sounding miserable at the thought.

“No, no, they won’t.” Barry assured, “They’ll mostly just talk with you, sometimes they’ll play games with you, but there will be no needles.”

“Okay.” Wally said.

Compared to the announcement of their holiday plans, the news that he was going to see a doctor hadn’t fazed Wally at all. Or maybe, Barry reflected, he was just too blissed out while being cuddled. It had become a part of their nightly routine, after dinner they would all snuggle on the couch and just sit together. Every time, Wally would go completely boneless, regardless of whether he was sitting on Barry’s lap or Hals, or in between them, it could be like cradling a stuffed animal some nights.

Not that he was complaining, it was far nicer to be able to hold him without worrying that it was just something he was tolerating. It had led to Wally being more open with himself, asking to be read to, or played with, and Barry suspected that it was doing more to help him settle in than almost everything else they had tried. Ultimately, things were looking up.


	30. Dinner with a Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry had his dinner with Bruce, who reveals some secrets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a dialogue heavy chapter, I hope you enjoy.

Barry was leaning against the wall of an antique store, waiting for Bruce. The store was located closest to the Zeta Tube that Bruce would be using, but not close enough to make himself look suspicious. He knew he was early, by about fifteen minutes, but Bruce was famous for showing up early anyway, so he didn’t really think it would matter.

True to his character, Bruce walked out of the alleyway within minutes, dressed in a casual black shirt and jeans, though still looking very formal. His hair was tousled, looking like he had run his hand through it and then added hairspray, and he was wearing sunglasses. In fact, if Barry hadn’t known for sure who he was meeting, he wouldn’t have known that it was Bruce Wayne standing in front of him.

“Hey!” Barry greeted, standing up straight.

“Hello.” Bruce responded.

The pair started walking, heading towards the center of the dining sector of uptown Central City. They didn’t speak at all, which Barry didn’t mind, the reason he and Bruce were as close as they were was because they could each just stay in the same room without speaking and still feel like they had had the best conversation of their lives. Of the entirety of the League, only himself and Bruce were introverted, often volunteering to go on booze runs when they all got together, or just leaving to go to another room to take some time to recharge.

“Where did you want to eat?” Bruce asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.

“There’s a nice little place called The Works, maybe five minutes ahead of us, if you’re interested.” He offered.

Bruce nodded, silently agreeing to the restaurant he had suggested. They kept a steady pace, Bruce letting his friend lead the way, eventually initiating some small talk.

“How’s Wally doing?” He asked.

“He’s doing really well!” Barry replied, “He’s gotten really cuddly lately, Hal and I have started holding him after supper every evening.”

“I’m glad he’s doing better, I know you were worried about him while he was hospitalized.” Bruce said.

“I was, thank you for the concern, but he’s bounced back, I’m really proud of him.” Barry thanked him.

“Good. Hal told me that you two are coming to the New Years party and you’re bringing Wally, I’m looking forward to meeting him.” 

“Oh, I can’t wait for him to meet you, I know that he’ll love you.” Barry said, bouncing lightly while they came up to the door of the restaurant.

Bruce stepped in front of him, holding the door open for his friend to pass through, following closely behind him. A server took them to a quiet corner of the bistro, bringing them two glasses of water and drink and food menus. Bruce picked up his own food menu, looking it over while he talked with Barry.

“Is he excited?” Bruce asked.

“Well yes, mostly because he wants to play with Roy.” Barry answered.

“I mean, I suppose beggars can’t be choosers. If he’s excited, that’s better than terrified.” Bruce pointed out.

“Fair enough, fair enough.” Barry acknowledged.

They fell silent, looking over the menu independently. Neither touched their drink menus, Bruce because he didn’t drink, and Barry because he couldn’t feel the effects of alcohol and didn’t like it enough to just drink it for the taste. The waiter came back in a few moments, ready to take their drink orders.

Bruce wound up ordering a glass of pepsi while Barry ordered a mocktail. When they had their drinks, they ordered their dinner. Their orders were taken and the menus were removed, leaving them alone to just talk.

“So what’s up Bruce?” Barry asked.

“What do you mean?” Bruce dodged.

“You never want to ‘just spend time together’ ever. So somethings up.” Barry said.

Bruce looked amused, turning his head and wiping his hand down his face.

“If you don’t wanna tell me, that’s cool, but I know something is up.” He added, letting his friend off the hook if he wanted to be.

“No no, you’re right.” Bruce surrendered, dropping his voice until Barry had to lean forward to hear him. “I’m Bi. Bisexual.”

Barry sat back, letting that information sink in. Bruce was looking bashful, glancing around as though he was being listened in on.

“Okay. Good for you.” Barry congratulated, “Am I the first one you’ve told?”

“Yeah. I figured that you would be the one least likely to gossip about it, and not give me a hard time about figuring it out so late.” Bruce reasoned.

“Bee, none of us would give you a hard time. I figured it out at twenty three and only came out at twenty four, no one gave me a hard time.” Barry promised, “They may tease you a little, but they’ll stop if you ask them.”

“I know they would tease me a little, and I don’t really mind that.” Bruce said, “I just don’t think I’m really ready to be fully out yet. Please, don’t tell anyone.”

“I won’t!” Barry promised, “My lips are sealed.”

“You can tell Hal.” Bruce added, “I don’t want you to keep secrets in your relationship just for me.”

“No, this is your news to tell, I won’t tell him.” He reassured, “Your secret is safe with me.”

Bruce opened his mouth to respond, but their food came. Their loaded plates were set down in front of them, Barry’s was full of a pasta dish, while Bruce had a burger.

“It always amuses me when I see you eating ‘normal people’ food.” Barry laughed.

“Hey, I can never eat this stuff around the crowd I normally have to hang out with!” Bruce responded, taking a bite out of a fry. “Don’t ruin this for me.”

Barry shook his head, laughing. The pair started eating, Barry placing a forkful of his pasta on the side of Bruce’s plate so he could try it, receiving a handful of fries for his efforts.

When they had finished their dinner, their waiter took their plates and brought them dessert menus, which they flipped through.

“How’s your dad?” Bruce asked absently, looking at the menu.

“Um, he’s alright.” Barry answered, feeling awkward. “I haven’t seen him in a while, but we send each other letters all the time.”

Bruce lowered his menu, giving Barry an inquisitive look.

“Why haven’t you seen him in a while? I thought you two would visit at least twice a month.” He asked.

Barry took a deep breath and explained, “Our lawyer told us pretty early that it wouldn’t look good for our case if I was going to visit a convicted killer twice a month. We have a better chance of keeping custody of Wally if I don’t see my dad.”

“Oh.” Bruce responded, looking like he regretted even asking. “Barry I’m really sorry.”

“Yeah, no I’m fine.” He said, hearing his voice wobble, “Just, uh, just give me a second.”

Before his dining mate could say anything, Barry stood up and hurried to the bathroom. He felt bad for walking off like that, but he needed a second. When he was in the bathroom, he paced around for a moment, then turned on the tap as cold as it would go and splashed some water on his face, careful to not get any on his shirt. 

He blinked hard against the tears burning at the backs of his eyes. It was a stupid thing to be so worked up over, he had been dealing with this for months, almost the day after they had been approved to take Wally home, he was not going to ruin his night out with Bruce because of this. He took a deep breath, swinging his arms and tilting his head from side to side.

He left the bathroom after patting his face dry with a handful of paper towels. He made a pit stop to the waiters stand for a quick moment, silently picking up their tab without Bruce there to protest. When he got back to the table, there was a slice of chocolate cake waiting for him, along with Bruce looking sheepish, an odd look for the normally confident man.

“Hey, sorry about that.” Barry apologized, reclaiming his seat.

“I’m the one who should be apologizing.” Bruce claimed, “I shouldn’t have brought up your…”

Bruce trailed off, looking like he had stepped into a minefield. Barry waved him off, desperate to get the visit back to a lighter tone.

“Don’t worry about it.” Barry said, “Thanks for ordering cake for me.”

“It’s your favourite dessert.” Bruce stated, also looking relieved that they weren’t going to dwell on the sad subject.

Barry enjoyed the cake, sharing a few bites with his friend, sampling his cobbler in return. At some point, Bruce tried waving a waiter over so he could settle the bill.

“I already paid.” Barry told him, holding up a hand to halt the server.

Bruce froze, staring Barry down, somewhat playfully, as playful as Batman's alter-ego could look.

“Barry, you didn’t need to do that.” He protested.

“You’re my friend, friends can take each other out for a meal.” Barry pointed out, already firmly set against Bruce picking up the bill or paying him back for it.

“Barry!” Bruce hissed, so they weren’t overheard, “I have more money than I, or any other human being could feasibly spend in a hundred lifetimes! You don’t need to pay for my food.”

Barry stared at him, trying not to burst out laughing.

“You know I’m friends with you for more than just your money, right?” He asked, “Like, I genuinely enjoy spending time with you, and I would even if you were broke.”

“But I’m not, and _you_ have a little boy now!” He pointed out.

“Thanks to you!” Barry argued, “And you are already doing my family enough favours, you don’t need to buy me dinner, I can treat you.”

Bruce looked ready to argue again, but fell silent when the server took their empty plates. Barry finished the argument by grabbing his coat off the back of his chair and pulling it on, leading the way out of the restaurant. Bruce hurried after him, leaving a wad of cash on the table for the wait staff, and he was still pulling his coat on when they made it to the sidewalk outside.

Bruce nudged him with his shoulder, nearly making him stumble into a snowbank.

“Your husband nearly killed Clark, did you hear about that?” Bruce asked.

“Before that surprise meeting he called?” Barry asked, getting a nod. “Yeah, he told me he was going to, but in his defense, he decided to do his golden retriever thing at the absolute worst time.”

Bruce burst out laughing, slowing the pair down significantly while he tried to catch his breath. It wasn’t common for him to laugh like that, so it amused Barry that it was happening at all.

“Yeah, I heard. If it helps, I tried to get him to leave you two alone.” He gasped.

“It doesn’t, but thanks for trying.” Barry deadpanned.

Bruce shook his head, still snickering to himself. They walked for a little more, in comfortable silence, until Barry broke it.

“So, I heard everything went to shit on the last mission.” He started.

“So badly.” Bruce agreed.

“I leave for four months, and everything falls apart, huh?” He teased, “What happened? How did Manta even get in?”

Bruce clicked his tongue.

“What did Hal tell you?” He asked, looking for a point to start.

“Everything he knew, he gave me a play by play from what he saw and heard.”

“So you know about Kaldur? And who his, for lack of a better term, DNA donor is?”Bruce asked.

“I was informed. But how did he get in?”

“I had Zatana weaken the protective spell over the databank for Kaldur. He claims that it’s based on Biological makeup, and because Manta is the kids father, their close enough that Manta was able to get in.” Bruce explained. “And beat the crap out of his kid.”

“Jeez, poor kid.” Barry sympathized, “That must have been so scary for him.”

“No kidding! He completely lost any ability he had to speak english, so he was surrounded by an entire group of people and he could only be understood by one.” Bruce agreed, wincing to himself. “And that one is kind of his boss, so that must have made it worse.”

“Okay, so about that, you’ve seen the two of them together, what’s their relationship?” Barry asked, “Because Ollie told me Arthur was practically carrying pictures of the kid in his wallet, but Hal said that he got really tense when he was brought up at the random meet up, so what’s going on with Arthur?”

“I don’t entirely know.” Bruce admitted, “I think that he’s in a tight spot where his position in Atlantis makes it difficult for him to actually keep the kid as his own and not just a trainee, so he’s trying to do what he can. I don’t really know what adoption laws are like down here, especially for someone with Arthurs status.”

“I guess that makes sense.” Barry acknowledged.

They had made their way to the alleyway where the Zeta Tube was, pausing to say goodbye before parting ways.

“This was fun Bruce, we should do it again some time.” Barry said, giving him a quick hug.

“It was, I enjoyed the evening.” Bruce agreed, returning the hug.

They bid each other goodbye, Barry sticking around until his friend had been transported back to his own state. He took a few slow steps down the alleyway, checking behind him to make sure no one was looking, and ran home. 

His car was still in the driveway, having told Wally that his friend was going to pick him up at the park, which he could walk to. Being that it had been a late diner, the house was mostly dark, making him turn on a light when he crossed the threshold. He toed off his shoes and threw his coat into the closet, then made his way upstairs to his bedroom.

Hal was sitting in their bed, texting somebody on his phone. His husband waited while he changed into his pajamas and brushed his teeth, greeting him with a kiss when he crawled into his bed beside him.

“Have a nice time?” He asked.

“Yeah, we did!” Barry chirped, “I was really nice.”

“Are you okay?” Hal asked.

“Of course, why?” Barry asked.

“Bruce texted me, told me he made you a little upset and you stepped off to the bathroom.” Hal explained, “I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“Oh!, Yeah, that was just me being silly.” Barry explained, feeling embarrassed. “Don’t worry about it.”

Hal tugged Barry under his arm, kissing him again.

“It’s not silly that you miss your dad.” He chided gently, feeling his husband curl into him.

“I’m fine.” Barry promised, harder this time, letting Hal hold him.

“Okay.” Hal relented.

“Okay.” Barry said.

The blond squirmed out from under Hal’s arm, plugging his phone into it’s charger.

“Did you use a condom?” Hal teased.

Barry grabbed his pillow, smacking Hal in the face with it a few times, holding it over his face and pretending to smother him. Hal laughed while he was assaulted with the pillow, pushing it off his face and kissing Barry again. Barry was smiling, he could feel it while they kissed each other, and it made him happy to know that Barry wasn’t actually upset. As long as everyone under their roof was safe and content, Hal was too.  



	31. First Sessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wally has his first visit with his therapist, as well as another first for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I hope you enjoy this chapter. As I have stated previously, I don't have a medical license, so this therapist is based off of research that I did by googling 'child therapists' as well as their credentials. Also, he drugs I have Wally on are a complete work of fiction and not based on any real medicine. Just in case anyone is curious.

Barry was sitting in the therapist's office, Hal beside him and Wally sitting in his lap. The office was pretty standard, various magazines strewn about on the tables beside potted plants, there was a messy corner full of some toys and colouring supplies for children to play with, which made sense, given that it was a therapist’s office specializing in child mental health. 

Barry had asked Wally if he wanted to go play with some of the toys when they had first come in, but he hadn’t been interested, clinging to Barry’s shirt to stay with him. The child was clearly nervous, tense and wound up in Barry’s lap while they waited for the doctor to call on him. The only thing that seemed to be keeping him calm, other than his uncles, was the salt water fish tank, it was set up like a miniature coral reef with lots of various fish swimming about in it, and it was very entertaining to Wally.

“Wally West?” The receptionist called, despite them being the only ones in the waiting room.

Barry lifted Wally up off his lap and set him on his feet, standing up himself. Wally was clinging to his hand as tightly as he could while Barry walked him to the receptionist. She crouched down and spoke directly to the little boy, sounding like a kindergarten teacher.

“Hello! My name is Claire, I work with Dr. Pinzela.” She introduced, offering her hand to Wally. “I’m going to take you to her office, if you’d like to come with me.”

Wally started to follow her, stopping abruptly when he realised his uncles weren’t following him, slipping out of her grasp and racing back to them.

“Wally, Sweetheart, you need to go with Miss. Claire.” Barry told him while he returned his hug.

Wally shook his head vigorously, gripping Barry’s sweater vest with a vengeance. 

“No? Why not?” Hal asked, kneeling down to look Wally in the eyes.

“Only if you come with me.” Wally said.

Barry gently pushed him away, keeping his hands on his nephews shoulders to keep the contact but also make sure Wally was listening.

“That’s not really how therapy works Kiddo.” He said, “You’re going to talk to someone without us so you can talk about anything you want.”

Claire held up one finger and then disappeared down the hallway. Wally was holding onto Barry’s wrist, not wanting to let go.

“Please come with me.” He begged, “Please?”

“Honey.” Hal murmured, “It’s only a thirty minute session.”

“Uncle Hal and I will be right here when you come out.” Barry added.

Wally was still looking stressed, holding onto Barry’s sleeve like a lifeline. Barry looked down at Hal, unsure of what to do. Forcing Wally to go wouldn’t help anything, but it would be counter-productive to go with him into the office. Before he could figure out what to do, Claire came back into the room with a well dressed, dark haired woman following her. The newcomer took in the scene without judgement, joining Hal in crouching next to Wally.

“Hello there, My name is Dr. Pinzela, but you can call me Alisa.” She greeted, “What’s going on?”

“We’re a little bit nervous.” Hal answered.

“I see, that’s not good.” Alisa acknowledged, looking to Wally. “What’s making you nervous Pumpkin?”

“I want Uncle Hal and Uncle Barry to stay with me.” He said.

“I see. Are you frightened of me or are you scared to be away from them?” She asked.

Wally froze, like he had never considered why he was frightened, only that he was.

“I… I don’t know.” He confessed.

“Okay. Well, what if your uncles follow us to my office, so they know where you are. They won’t come in, but then you know they can find you, does that sound like a good first step?” She suggested.

Barry felt Wally loosen his grip on his shirt, looking more secure. He didn’t let go of his uncle completely, he was still holding on to Barry, but he wasn’t whiteknuckling anymore. The little boy looked at his guardians for affirmation.

“Would you like that Wally?” Hal asked.

“Yes please.” Wally answered.

“Excellent, thank you for trusting us.” Alisa thanked him, “If you three would like to follow me, we can head over to my office.”

Barry gently pried Wally’s fingers from his sleeve, sliding his little boy’s hand into his. They followed Dr. Pinzela down the well lit hallway to the office at the end of it. She opened the door wide, standing to the side so Wally could look inside of it.

It was a pretty standard office, a desk with a few stacks of paper and a laptop on it, some bookshelves with various books and some fidget toys, there was a mini fridge near the desk, slightly hidden by the two loveseat couches with throw pillows on them.

“This is my office, it’s where you and I are going to have our sessions.” Alisa said, “Your uncles are going to wait for you in the waiting room you just came from, okay?”

“Alright.” Wally said, looking up and down the short hallway.

He could still see a good part of the waiting room, mostly the fishtank. He felt Barry pull away from him, breaking their contact. Hal ruffled his hair, giving him a kiss on the top of his head before he stepped through the office threshold.

Wally and Alisa stepped into the office while Barry and Hal retreated back to the waiting room. Alisa closed the door behind them, stepping around Wally to give him plenty of space while she went to the mini fridge. Wally stood awkwardly while she did so, looking around her office but keeping her in his line of sight.

“Would you like to take a seat?” She asked, taking a seat on one of the loveseats and gesturing to the other one.

Wally nodded slowly, climbing up on the sofa and sitting facing her. Alisa smiled at him while he did so. When he was settled, she reached across the gap and handed him a small water bottle, which he took.

“So today we’re just going to get acquainted with each other and what we’re going to work on together.” She started, “I’m Doctor Alisa Pinzela, I’m a therapist specializing in childhood trauma and psychology. So when you step into this room, everything you say is confidential, do you know what that means?”

“No.” Wally answered.

“Alright, so what confidential means that I legally cannot tell anybody what you have told me. That means I can’t tell your uncles, or my family, or your teachers, nobody but you and I are going to know what you and I talk about here.” Alisa explained, “The only exception to that rule is if I have genuine concern that you are harming yourself or others, or you’re planning to, or if you're being abused or neglected and I need to contact the authorities.”

“Okay.” Wally nodded, “So you can’t tell Uncle Hal and Uncle Barry anything I say, ever?”

“Not unless I think you’re in serious danger.” She promised, “Other than that, I cannot tell anybody what you tell me, or I could go to jail.”

Wally nodded again, fiddling with the label of his water bottle.

“Do you know why your uncles have scheduled you for therapy?” Alisa asked.

Wally swallowed hard, “Uncle Hal told me it was because of Dad.”

“What about him?” Alisa asked.

“Umm. He hit me. A lot.” Wally whimpered, “An-and now I live with my uncles, and Uncle Barry says he made me scared all the time.”

“Mhmm, that’s about what they told me.” Alisa agreed, “Do you think that, if we work together, we can help you not be really scared all the time?”

“How do we make me not scared all the time?” He asked.

“We’ll work together to find out what makes you scared and find a treatment plan to help you figure out how to identify them and deal with them.” Alisa laid out.

“Uncle Barry said you weren’t going to give me needles!” Wally said, tucking his knees under his chin.

“And I won’t be giving you any!” Alisa comforted, “When I say ‘treatment’ I mean that we’ll talk about the things that scare you and how we can work to overcome them. No needles involved.” 

“Promise?” Wally demanded, eyeing her with suspicion.

“Pinky swear.” She swore, holding her extended pinky finger across the divide for him to link.

Wally accepted her promise, linking his pinky to hers, amused. Alisa leaned back once they were unlinked, accomplished in making Wally more relaxed with the space and her, even without his uncles.

“I’ve already talked with your Uncle Barry, and we’ve agreed that it’s a good idea for us to meet once every other week, and start moving up to once a week when we get better acquainted.” She explained.

“Alright.” Wally agreed.

“One more thing, you can decide how these sessions go. I won’t ever force you to discuss something or talk about anything you aren’t willing to talk about. If you ever want to completely change the subject in the middle of a conversation, or just spend a session relaxing, that’s completely fine.” Alisa explained, “I have a bunch of toys you can play with, or some books you can read, and my mini fridge has some yummy snacks we can have, if you want some. There won’t be any judgements, I won’t ever be mad at you for just wanting to spend the hour playing or reading. These sessions are to help you, and if you feel that the best way to help you is to have an hour playing and having a snack, then we can do that.”

“Okay.” Wally said, smiling a little.

“Okay, so we only have a few minutes left, if you have any questions. Or we can just hang out together, it’s really up to you.” Alisa offered.

Wally shrugged, taking a sip out of his water bottle, noticing that it was flavoured like raspberries. 

“May I ask you some questions?” She asked.

“Sure.” Wally agreed.

“Thank you. How long have you been living with your uncles?” She started off.

“A while, I can’t remember how long.”

“Do you like them?”

“Uh-huh! They’re super nice!” Wally chirped, bouncing in his seat.

“Are they? What makes them super nice?” She asked.

“They’re-they’re really nice! And they don’t yell at each other or me, and they always hug each other!” He rambled, “And they hug me a lot!”

“Do they? That’s really nice, do you like that?”

“Yeah.” Wally said, blushing a little bit. “I really like it. Sometimes they hold me on the couch and let me sit on their laps after dinner. And Uncle Hal slept with me when I was in the hospital, even after I hadn’t been very good, he let me sleep with his jacket and played with my hair.”

“Hmm, that’s really sweet of him. Do you sleep with your uncles a lot?”

Wally closed off, shaking his head, “No. I don’t.”

Alisa noted the change in tone, knowing that there was something that he wasn’t disclosing, but didn’t push it. If he didn’t feel like talking about whatever had made him tense up, he didn’t have to.

“Okay, do you like it when your Uncle Hal touches your hair?” She asked, moving the topic away from sleeping with his guardians.

“Yes.” Wally admitted, bashful. “It makes me feel safe.”

“That’s good, I’m really glad that you like your uncles and feel safe with them.” Alisa said, checking her watch, “I’m afraid that we’re all out of time today, but I’m looking forward to seeing you again in two weeks.”

Wally nodded, letting her lead him out of the office and into the hallway. He broke into a bit of a hustle when he saw his uncles, who were patiently waiting for him. Hal was playing on his phone while Barry was flipping through a book he had brought with him, neither of them prepared for Wally to fling himself at Barry, latching onto him tightly.

“Oh my goodness!” Barry gasped, jumping before pulling Wally into his lap. “Hello Kiddo, everything alright?”

“Mhmm!” Wally confirmed, cuddling closer to him. 

Barry smiled, kissing his head. Hal stood up, sliding his phone back into his packet and helping Barry stand up, taking his partners book and marking the page for him. Alisa smiled at the couple, waving goodbye to Wally, though he couldn’t see with his face buried in Barry’s shoulder.

“Have a nice day guys, if you’d like to, you can email my receptionist to schedule another session.” She said.

“We will, thank you very much.” Hal said, leading Barry and Wally down the stairs and out into the parking lot.

Hal slung his arm around the pair, kissing Barry’s hair as they made their way to their car. He unlocked the car, watching Barry get Wally into his seat and buckled, then opened his door for him to climb in. Barry kissed him over the door before he got into the passenger seat, buckling his own seat belt while Hal shut the door. He got into the driver's seat, starting the car and setting off towards their home.

~~~~

Barry was kissing Wally on the forehead before he went to bed. He had already been bathed, dressed in his pjs, and had brushed his teeth, now he was ready to take his medication so he could go to sleep.

Hal was sitting on the edge of Wally's bed with a small cup half full of water and his sedative at the ready. He caught Wally with one arm when he rushed in for a hug, kissing his head and rocking him. He shifted Wally around until he was sitting comfortably on his lap, handing him the pill and the cup, watching Wally swallow the medication and his water down.

Barry took the glass from him after he was finished, setting it down on his bedside table to collect it later. He and Hal laid Wally down in his bed, tucking him in and taking turns bidding him goodnight.

“Good night Kiddo.” Hal wished, kissing his head.

“Good night Uncle Hal.” Wally responded, his voice already getting heavy from the drugs.

Barry slipped past Hal, taking his turn kissing his nephew goodnight.

“Sweet dreams Wally.” He whispered, “I love you.”

Wally’s eyes were being pulled closed, his head tilting while he tried to stay awake.

“I love you too Uncle Barry.” He murmured, being pulled into slumber.

Barry was sitting on the side of the bed, frozen. Hal gripped his upper arm, pulling him to his feet and out of the room and towards their bedroom. Barry was already crying before he got there, finally registering what Wally had said, wiping his eyes quickly with his hand.

“Holy shit!” He choked, “Did you hear him? Did you hear what he said?”

“Yeah.” Hal affirmed, holding Barry’s face in his hands, pressing their foreheads together.

“He loves me!” Barry cried, “He said it, he said he loves me!”

“I know, I heard!” Hal laughed, kissing him hard.

Barry kissed him back, both of them laughing and crying simultaneously while they celebrated. Hal was gripping Barry so tight that he was leaving red marks on his back, not that Barry was complaining, as he was holding onto Hal just as tight. 

“I didn’t think he would ever say that!” Barry laughed, rocking and swaying with Hal.

“I know, but he did.” Hal agreed, pulling Barry onto their bed.

Both of them laid down, laughing and kissing again. Hal could feel Barry’s heartbeat under his hand, it always felt like a caged bird, but tonight it felt like it would burst right out of his chest. His ring was also reacting to his emotions, feeling it’s powers pulsing through his muscles and lighting up his mind like ten shots of espresso all at once. Barry clung to his husband, wriggling until there was almost no space between them at all, quietly celebrating to themselves while their little boy slept peacefully in his bed


	32. Adult Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hal and Barry have some cuddles after a night to themselves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning! Warning! Warning! There isn't really explicit sex in this chapter, but there is some naughty language and explicit references, including mentions to cum and penises. If you are uncomfortable with this, please feel free to skip this chapter.

  
Barry was tucked right under Hal’s arm and resting his head against his chest. Both men were sweaty and out of breath, but happy. There were only two pills left of Wally’s prescription, and they had taken advantage of his guaranteed slumber to spend some adult time together, this time without being interrupted. 

“We should get cleaned up.” He mumbled.

Hal just hummed, readjusting his grip on the speedster and running his fingers up and down his spine.

“Should we?” He asked, running his fingers down to the small of Barry’s back and making him shiver.

“Yes.” Barry said, though he was getting excited when Hal squeezed his ass and he was starting to doubt himself.

Hal’s chest moved under his head when the brunette laughed. He sat up, pulling Barry into his lap, both of them still naked.

“Why?” He asked, whispering in his ear.

“Because- because I don’t want to go to sleep in a messy bed.” Barry gasped.

Hal gave him a cocky smile, pulling Barry closer and nuzzling into his exposed chest. He started kissing over the hickeys he had left all over Barry’s collarbones, occasionally nipping one and making the blond gasp.

“We put a towel down.” Hal reminded, his voice muffled by Barry’s skin.

Well yeah, but-”

Barry broke off when Hal thrust up, sliding himself between his cheeks. Hal pulled him down for a dirty kiss, keeping him quiet while he groped his rear.

“But what Gorgeous?” Hal asked.

Barry inwardly cursed his husband, feeling his face heat up, which he knew Hal had wanted. He lowered his head to Hal’s shoulder, mumbling into it.

“I didn’t catch that Beautiful.” He teased.

He pushed Barry back, catching his chin so he couldn’t turn away. The only thing he could do to slightly relieve his embarrassment was close his eyes.

“But I’ve still got your cum in my ass.” He said in a rush.

He could hear Hal laugh, pulling him back for a hug, feeling kisses to the dark spots on his shoulders. He nearly purred when Hal started nudging at his entrance with his cock, rocking back to try to help him go in.

“Doesn’t feel like you’re too worked up about that.”

“Hal!” Barry gasped, grinding against him.

“Alright, alright.” Hal conceded, shifting Barry in his arms so he could move.

Hal stood up, Barry’s legs crossed behind his back. He carried the other man to the bathroom, using his ring to open the shower door and turn on the water. Barry gasped against his shoulder when the water hit his back, tightening his legs around Hal’s waist.

“You said you wanted to get cleaned up.” Hal reminded, keeping them under the running water.

“I do.” Barry said, “The water just surprised me.”

Hal used his ring to adjust the temperature, knowing that, until Barry let go of him, that he wasn’t going to actually feel it.

“You okay?” He asked. “The water’s alright?”

“Mhmm.” Barry sighed, “It’s good.”

Hal had to wait a few minutes before he could actually start washing himself off. Barry was determined to cling to him, keeping his arms wrapped around his neck and his face buried in his shoulder. Finally, he felt Barry shift and start moving, bringing his legs down to stand on his own, wobbly feet.

“You okay?” Hal asked, keeping his hands on Barry’s waist to keep him upright.

“Yeah, I’m good.” He responded, “I’m just tired.”

Barry kept himself pressed against Hal, snuggling with him under the water. Hal grabbed the soap and a washcloth, lathering it up to start cleaning them up. He took his time cleaning Barry up, occasionally pressing on some bite marks or hickeys to make him gasp or moan.

“You’re making some very pretty sounds.” Hal complimented, washing the left over lubricant down the drain.

“Hush.” Barry sighed, letting his partner clean them up.

Hal smiled, kissing Barry gently, ready to move on to cleaning his hair. He wrung out the wash cloth and hung it on the rack, grabbing the shampoo and pouring some into his hand. He lathered up the soap and started to massage it into Barry’s scalp, going in small, circular motions to get all the sweat and grime out of his hair, being very careful not to let any of the soap run down his face into his eyes or mouth, that would be a sucky end to a very satisfying evening. He started using his nails, gently removing the dead skin on his scalp, and knew Barry was enjoying it because he pressed somehow closer to him and moaned.

“Like that Baby?” He asked. 

“Mhmm!” Barry purred, embracing him tighter.

Hal rolled his eyes, letting his husband nuzzle against his chest and collarbones while he rinsed off his hair. He took his time getting the rest of the shampoo out and started combing the conditioner through his hair, being careful not to pull too hard. It was very obvious that Barry had started getting into the pillow talk part of the night and he didn’t want to ruin it for him by making him sore. 

“I love it when you play with my hair.” He sighed.

“I know you do.” Hal responded, running all ten fingers through his hair, gently scratching the skin to make Barry shiver.

“I love you.” Barry whispered.

Hal pressed a kiss to his forehead, running his fingers from the back of Barry’s neck down his spine.

“I love you too.” He promised, “And I’m nearly done cleaning you up, so we can just go laze about in bed.”

He started rubbing circles in Barry’s hair again to get the water in, rinsing the conditioner out faster so they could go cuddle. Pillow talk was mostly Barry’s thing, he absolutely enjoyed the sex, but he was the one to insist on the snuggling. It wasn’t that Hal didn’t enjoy it too, he did, but he didn’t need it like Barry did, he had enjoyed enough one night stands that he was perfectly fine without any pillow talk or cuddling, he had only really started that habit once he and Barry started sleeping together. 

He finished rinsing the conditioner out of Barry’s hair, combing it back off of the blonds face with his fingers. He reached over and turned the water off, feeling the water taper off and leave them exposed to the steamy air. He lifted Barry back up, feeling his ankles cross behind his back again while Hal carried him out of the shower and onto the mat.

Hal used his ring to grab a towel from the rack and wrap it around the speedster. Barry’s grip on him was so strong that Hal didn’t worry about him falling when he started drying them off, gently rubbing their bare skin with the soft towel, though it still stung going over the scratches on his back. He tapped the side of Barry’s thigh when he was done drying their backs so the blond knew it was time to let go, dropping his feet to the mat so Hal could dry off his front, temporarily slowed down when Barry started kissing him.

“Babe,” Hal said, gently pushing Barry back, “I can’t dry us off if you’re kissing me like that.”

Barry pouted at him, giving him puppy eyes, knowing full well that Hal couldn’t resist them.

“But I like kissing you.” He whined. “And you’re warm.”

Hal rolled his eyes indulgently, leaning forward to give him a kiss on the forehead.

“Then let me finish drying us off and we can go to bed and we can kiss as much as you like.” He reasoned.

“Fine.” Barry huffed.

“Thank you.” Hal said in a teasing tone.

He continued to dry Barry off, taking his time tracing his fingers over the lightning scars that were raised off of the rest of Barry’s skin. He also spent some time admiring the hickeys and love bites he had put on his partner, Barry’s pale skin was spotted with dark marks and red teeth marks, ranging from his neck and shoulders to his thighs. He knew that they would be gone by tomorrow, which is why he was spending his time looking at them now.

Though he was admiring his husband, he was also drying them off, finishing the job by tenderly patting Barry’s face dry with the towel, planting a kiss on his nose when he pulled it away. Immediately, Barry embraced him, wrapping his arms around his neck and pressing their torso’s together. Hal lifted him once more, carrying him to the bedroom and grabbing a pair of the blonds pajamas for him to get into, they were one of his favourite pairs of pjs, nice and soft, and he always wore them whenever they had lazy days around the house.

While Barry was getting himself dressed, Hal grabbed one of his own preferred pair of sleeping attire out of his set of drawers. Barry sped through getting dressed and used his speed to strip the entire bed, racing down the stairs and coming back with fresh sheets, the entire bed being made before Hal could even blink. His husband continued running around, darting into the bathroom and back to the bedroom a few times, ultimately ending his little run about curled up under the new covers. Hal could taste mint that wasn’t there before, and came to the conclusion that Barry had brushed his teeth for him in his eagerness to cuddle.

“Alright, alright!” He laughed, finishing pulling on his pants and deciding to forgo his shirt, “I’m coming, just give me a second.”

He pulled the covers back, climbing into his side of the bed. He had barely pulled the blankets up to his chin when Barry tucked himself into Hal’s side with his forehead against his jaw. Hal wrapped his arms around the speedster, nuzzling into his hair and breathing in the lingering smell of the shampoo he had used to wash his hair.

The two laid like that for a while, cuddling after their intimacy. Hal had his hand on Barry’s back and could feel his heartbeat through his ribs. Barry’s heart always felt like a hummingbird beating against a glass but tonight it felt even faster, still beating harder from the sex.

“Tonight was amazing.” Barry told him, tilting his head to plant a kiss to his jaw.

“It really was.” Hal agreed, “It’s been way too long since we’ve been able to do this.”

“Yeah, I’m told that comes with parenthood.” Barry joked.

“Jeez, if only Ollie had warned us three-hundred and fifty six times, instead of three-hundred and fifty five.” He groaned, making Barry laugh.

“Right? That jerk.” He agreed.

They sank back into comfortable silence, Barry tracing circles on Hal’s bare chest while his husband started kissing him. Hal pulled himself into a more upright position, leaning back against the headboard and dragging Barry up with him, sitting the other in his lap so he could kiss at his face and neck. He started nibbling on Barry’s neck, chewing lightly on his pulse point, something he knew Barry liked, when he pulled away.

“Please don’t chew on me anymore.” He requested.

Hal pulled back, leaving no part of his face touching Barry’s neck. He looked his husband in the face, looking for signs of pain.

“Okay, I won’t.” He promised. “Are you okay if I keep kissing you?”

“Yeah, yeah! I really want to kiss you. And I know I normally like it when you bite me, I just don’t want it right now please.” He rambled, flushing.

“Alright.” Hal accepted.

He caught Barry’s chin between this thumb and pointer finger, slowly bringing him closer for a kiss, but giving him plenty of time to pull away if he changed his mind. It didn’t bother Hal that Barry didn’t want him to give him any more love bites, though he did know that Barry could get a little needy for reassurance after sex and might be needing some affirmation that his husband wasn’t mad at him.

Barry was the one to break the kiss, sliding down until he was resting his head against Hal’s chest. The lantern shifted until he was reclined once more, moving his legs until he was stretched out.

‘I really appreciate it when you don’t push me.” Barry mumbled.

“You really appreciate it when I don’t sexually assault you?” Hal demanded, “God, the bar is low.”

Barry smacked at him lightly, grumbling into his chest, “Shut up, you know what I mean.”

Hal caught his hand in his own, bringing it up to his mouth and kissing the back of it.

“Barry, you know you’re allowed to tell me to stop, right?” He asked, “You know I won’t be mad at you for not wanting me to do something to you.”

“I know you won’t be mad, but it has to be annoying for you when I change my mind all the time.” Barry rambled, and Hal felt his heartbeat start to speed up under his hand.

“StrawBarry, if you don’t want me to bite you, I won’t bite you. I don’t mind that you aren't in the mood for that right now and I won’t be upset if you aren’t in the mood tomorrow.” He promised, “I love you, and I don’t want to do anything you don’t want me to do.”

Barry was a little bit tense, his shoulders stiff under Hal’s hand, so he tried a different approach.

“Bear, if I told you to stop, would you keep going?” He asked.

“No, of course not.” Barry answered, like Hal knew he would.

“Then why do you think I wouldn’t show you the same courtesy?” He followed up.

“Because-because…” Barry stammered, “I don’t know! I just don’t want you to be upset because I’m being sensitive.”

“Barry, Barry look at me.” Hal ordered.

Barry shifted a little, turning his head so his chin was resting on Hal’s sternum, looking him in the eye. Hal moved his hands to cup Barry’s cheeks, squishing them between his palms.

“I love that you’re sensitive. It was one of the first things that made me realise you’re the most beautiful man in the entire world.” He told Barry. “I love that you’re sensitive. And kind. And smart. And so, so beautiful.”

He punctuated each trait with a kiss, watching Barry’s cheeks go even redder with the compliments. It wasn’t the first time that Hal had had conversations like these, giving reassurance to his partner that boundaries weren’t a dealbreaker. It turned out that his husband had had a few very unsuccessful relationships previous to discovering his sexuality, and the women he had been seeing hadn’t always reacted well to Barry not being in the mood for certain things or acts, and it made him a little self conscious about refusing advances or affections.

“You’re such a sap.” Barry huffed, turning to rest his cheek against Hal’s chest.

“Your sap.” Hal reminded, waving his engagement ring in front of his face. “Till death do us part.” 

Hal felt Barry laugh, warm air being breathed against his naked skin. He started running his fingers up and down Barry’s back again while they snuggled. Hal could feel that Barry was kissing around his chest, inching his way up to his neck and nuzzling into his skin, his perfect nose tickling his jugular.

“Are you excited to have the ceremony?” Barry asks into his throat.

“Incredibly so.” Hal sighed.

He could feel his heart squeeze with excitement. While he hadn’t lied when he told Wally that marriage wasn’t really a thing anymore, the thrill of properly making Barry his was undeniable. Though they both still had to plan everything, they had already agreed to keep their names, given how tedious it would be to change every form of identification and license if one took the others name, or if they decided to hyphenate. Most of what they had to plan was the actual party, from when it was going to happen, how they were going to pull it off, and what they would do after.

Ideally, Hal would have loved to take Barry somewhere amazing for a few weeks to have a honeymoon. Unfortunately, they had Wally now, and they had already decided that it wouldn’t be fair to the little boy for his guardians to leave him for a month while they went and enjoyed a honeymoon. Oliver had offered to take him for a week so they could have a brief vacation, and Iris had brought up the idea that she could have Wally for a weekend, so they had a couple of options to toy with.

“Do you want to invite your brother?” Barry followed up.

“Absolutely not.” Hal responded immediately.

He regretted his harsh tone when Barry flinched a little, it wasn’t his husband’s fault that Jack was one of his least favorite people in the whole world. However, Jack and his wife had been extremely clear that they were firmly against homosexuality, and found his Bisexuality ‘disgusting’ and a hazard to children. Hal and Jack had made a point to tolerate each other when Jim was still alive, but after their little brother had been killed in an accident, they only spoke to argue. Still, none of that was Barry’s fault, and it wasn’t fair to make him frightened because of it.

“I’m sorry.” He apologized, pressing a kiss to Barry’s head. “I’m not angry at you.”

“It’s okay, I shouldn’t have brought it up.” 

“No, you shouldn’t have to walk on eggshells to talk to me. It’s a simple question and I shouldn’t have snapped at you.”

He grunted as Barry used his stomach to prop himself up, looking at him. Barry was quite obviously tired, and Hal couldn't fathom why he kept talking to him instead of just falling asleep. He grabbed the back of Barry’s head, tugging him into a kiss and then pressing his head against the pillow gently.

“I want our wedding to be about us and I only want people around us who love us and support us. If Jack and his coven of republicans show up, Ollie will fight him, Diana might commit a felony, and I won’t be able to just be in love with you.” Hal explained, “I haven’t even told him you and I went to the courthouse and took in a kid, because I really feel like I’m just at the point where I don’t want him in my life anymore, I would rather just be around the people that are going to make me happy.”

Barry smiled at him and touched his forehead against his. His warmer than average palm caressing his cheek.

“Alright. If that’s what you think is best, we won’t even tell him we’re tying the knot.” Barry agreed.

“I would appreciate it.” Hal said, “But for now, I think we should go to sleep, because you, my love, look exhausted.”

“Hmm, love you too.” Barry huffed. 

Though he did close his eyes and cuddled closer to Hal. Both of them fell silent, pressed against each other while they fell asleep. Hal could feel Barry’s hand on his chest getting heavier as he lost consciousness, though his own mind was so fuzzy that he couldn’t do anything about it as he slipped into sleep.


	33. Catch Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry thinks over Wally saying the golden phrase and Hal catches up with Guy, John, and Alan.

Hal was holding Barry in the kitchen, swaying rhythmically to no music. They were taking their time, not having anywhere to go as it was a Saturday. Barry felt his hair move under Hal’s breath and tickled his scalp, what the blond was waiting for was for his husband to let him know whether or not Wally was awake and watching them.

Wally’s prescription had run out a few days ago, so both men were waiting to see if he would pick up his old habit of keeping an eye on them. Barry suspected that it might take a little bit for him to get back into the swing of things, if he got back into it at all. He suspected that most of the reason Wally had even started watching them had been to figure out if he could trust them or not, and he had clearly decided that he could, or he wouldn’t have told Barry he loved him.

Barry still couldn’t get over that, every time he thought about Wally telling him he loved him he felt his heart leap. He wouldn’t lie when asked about how he had celebrated, he and Hal had laughed and kissed for hours, both of them had cried, and Barry had spent an hour on the phone with his sister telling her everything. He had also gotten a congratulatory text from Oliver, so he knew that Hal had told his best friend.

The moment had come with some tension. Barry could feel that Hal was waiting for his turn, for the little boy he had come to love to verbally confirm it, which had not happened yet. Hal swore that he didn’t mind, knowing, as someone who didn’t always express his emotions verbally, that Wally was telling him in different ways. But that didn’t mean that it wouldn’t be nice to hear it out loud from the red head.

It had also made Wally a bit tense, creeping down the stairs the morning after almost completely curled in on himself. Barry had gotten the feeling that he had debated not coming down at all as he was obviously uncomfortable. He had moved back from his uncle when he tried to touch him, and had only waved at Barry when he had wished him good morning. 

Barry had sat the two of them down and had talked with him about what he had said the night before and how happy he was that Wally had said it, but he had also told him that he didn’t need to say it all the time. Barry had promised that he wouldn’t be upset if Wally didn’t say he loved him back all the time, and they had talked about how differently some people expressed their love and each was perfectly fine. The example that Barry had used was Bruce, who Wally hadn’t met yet, and how Bruce would express his affection with actions, by remembering someone's favourite food, or how they took their coffee and he was very rarely physically affectionate or verbally expressive. By the end of the conversation, Wally was much more relaxed and open, eagerly returning Barry’s hug when they had finished.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when Hal gently poked him in the side, making him yip when he did.

“You're thinking too much.” Hal muttered into his hair.

“Sorry.” 

“Penny for your thoughts?”

Barry sighed, breathing in his husband’s smell, the scent of his shampoo and his aftershave, the coffee on his breath mixed with toothpaste, and the lingering smell of jet fuel, which followed the pilot no matter where he went. 

“I’m just thinking about how lucky I am, to have the two amazing people I love so much in my life.” Barry answered.

“Oh so nothing big then.” Hal joked. “What brought that on?”

“I was just thinking about how much Wally’s progressed since we first brought him home and how much we’ve been through.” Barry told him, “I was remembering about how we’ve talked about different ways to express love and how he tells us, even when he doesn’t say it.”

“Yeah? How do you notice it? How he says he loves us, I mean.” Hal asked.

“When he comes downstairs, he’ll give me a hug. That never used to happen before, but he does it everyday now.”

“Does he?” 

“Yes, it’s really been so…”

Barry paused as he struggled to find a word that would properly fit with his thoughts, with how heavy the situation felt to him. He didn’t really know of one, so he just picked one and went with it.

“Heartwarming, to know that he trusts me so much that he knows that if he comes within arms reach of me, he’ll be safe.” He finished. “What about you? What does he do with you that makes you know he loves you?”

Hal stayed silent for a moment, thinking through how far he had come with Wally. While he wasn’t the child's primary caregiver, and as such, didn’t have the same relationship with him as Barry did. However, he was very clearly a person of importance to his little boy, and was being shown Wally’s own brand of affection.

“I’ve noticed that he’ll look away from me now. When he first woke up here, and got to be well enough to walk around, he would always keep me in sight. He was so obviously frightened of me that he didn’t feel safe letting me be around him without being able to see me.” Hal responded. “I know that one of the biggest hurdles he had to jump was working past the lesson that big people are dangerous people, and I’m glad that he’s decided he can trust me.”

“That is very nice, isn’t it?” Barry agreed.

“It is. Is that all you’ve been thinking about?”

“No. I’ve been thinking about whether or not we’ll actually get our little shadow back to the extent that we did before. We both agreed that part of that was to see if we were trustworthy, if he was safe, if we were going to treat each other the way his parents treated each other. I think that he was figuring out so many ‘ifs’ that are no longer on the fence, that he might not feel the need to hide on the stairs to spy on us anymore.” Barry reasoned.

“I see. I do somewhat agree with you about some of that, I’m not sure that he’ll resume creeping from the stairs, but I think we should both prepare ourselves for him to get into bed with us again now that he isn’t drugged into the stratosphere.”

“You think so?”

“Yeah I do. I told you before we had to take him to the hospital that he was crying when he came to our bed, I think that he’s getting some comfort from us. I’m not entirely sure what he needs comfort from, and I would still really like to talk with him about it, but I think that he’s still going to visit us at night.” Hal explained.

“You don’t think that maybe being injured was what he wanted comfort from?”

“I’m sure that’s a part of it, without question, but he crawled into bed with us before his cut opened back up. He told us he noticed when we were at Ollie’s place but he was snuggling up to you almost a week before that, and he was crying a few times when he did so.” 

Barry nodded and leaned in closer, resting his head against Hal’s chest. As much as he was willing to say Wally wouldn’t visit them anymore now that he was settled in, there was a not insignificant part of him that was hoping Wally would keep coming to see them. Barry himself had gone to sleep in his parents bed often as a child and he was really hoping that they would get to the point where Wally would do that with him and Hal.

“I want him to.” Barry blurted out.

“Want him to what, crawl in with us?” Hal asked.

“Yeah.”

“Okay. Can I ask why?” 

“I always did that with my parents when I was younger. I don’t know, it just feels like it’s a big milestone we haven’t hit yet and I really want to cross it.” Barry explained.

“Alright, so you want him to crawl in with us, just for the few moments he usually does, or do you want him to spend the night?”

“Like, I want him to spend the night. I want him to actually crawl under the covers and snuggle with us and have him there when we wake up.” Barry answered, “I think that it’ll be a big step for him to come and actually stay, not just hang out for a little bit and leave, I think that there’s a big step of trust that’s yet to be taken.”

“Okay, are you alright if I talk to him about it? Because I still want to do that.”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea? I don’t want to rush him, or stop him from doing it at all.”

“Baby,” Hal said, “I’m not going to be a jerk to the kid, all I want to do is pull him under the covers with us and let him know that he isn’t doing anything wrong by wanting to stay with us.”

Barry nibbled his lip, trying to mentally run through every possible scenario. He was worried that confronting Wally about his visits might make them stop happening all together, though he hoped that if it was discussed, the red head might stay longer or the entire night. There were pros and cons to talking with him about it, but it had to be handled properly and with care. He was distracted when Hal tipped his chin up and planted a kiss on his lips.

“How about this; I won’t do anything about it until he starts doing it again, and after he’s had a little bit to get comfortable with it.” Hal suggested, “And I’ll tell you everything he does, if he’s crying or doing something that makes me think he’s in pain or frightened, and we can make a decision together. We don’t have to make that decision today, we have plenty of time.”

“I guess.” Barry agreed.

“Excellent.”

“Are you still meeting up with the other Lanterns tonight?” Barry asked, changing the topic.

“As long as you’re still okay with me going.” 

Barry teasingly smacked him on the arm, laughing to himself.

“Of course I am, I hope you have a nice time. Say hi to John for me.”

“What, not Guy and Alan?” Hal teased, knowing that both men he had just named were hard to get along with.

“Them too.” Barry added hastily, though halfheartedly.

Deciding to rib him a little, Hal kept teasing him.

“I could bring the three of them back, we could all hang out together. I know how much you love Guy.” Hal suggested.

“I don’t _dislike_ Guy, he’s just…” 

Barry tapered off, going silent while he tried to think of an inoffensive adjective to describe the man.

“I know that the two of you don’t often see eye to eye.” Hal offered.

“He’s abrasive.” Barry agreed.

“He likes to get a rise out of you.”

“Yeah.”

“If it helps, he does that with everyone. Hell, he’s done that with the guardians.” Hal comforted.

“It doesn’t, but thank you.”

Hal smiled to himself, tugging Barry closer. It had never been a secret that Guy was abrasive and brash, never sugar coating anything or using a filter between his brain and his mouth. It had taken a long time for Hal to even be willing to speak with the man outside of a necessary situation, but he had eventually figured out how he ticked. Guy might constantly rib him and push his buttons, but he always pulled through to help him and the other Lanterns. He had bitched and moaned when Hal had asked them to help him and Barry move in together, but he had been the first to show up and the last to leave, and when Wally had come into Hal’s life, Guy had offered, in his own gruff way, to cover his sector. 

Guy also never put up with anybody talking shit about any of the other Lanterns he considered his friends. He had once gotten into a bar fight with someone who had called John the n word, and had been among the crowd who had offered to keep Jack away from him. So while Hal knew that Barry and Guy would never be best friends, he still wanted them to get along.

“Well I hope you have a nice time.” Barry wished him.

“Thank you Love.”

~~~~

Hal stepped into the bar, easily finding the other Lanterns in a relatively secluded corner booth. He slid into the empty spot beside John, who slid a beer that they had ordered for him into his hand.

“Hey guys.” Hal greeted, taking his drink.

“Hey man.” John returned, clapping him on the shoulder.

Guy just grunted at him and Alan didn’t respond at all, staring out the window at the parking lot. To anyone else, the lackluster response would have been rude, but Hal knew that this was pretty on par for the two of them.

“How’s your family?” John asked.

“They’re good! They’re doing really well.”

“Your nephew is back home right?”

“Yeah, he is. We brought him home a few weeks ago, he’s been doing really well.”

“So what was wrong with the kid again? Why did he need to be in the hospital?” Guy asked, joining the conversation.

“One of the cuts that his father gave him opened back up and he didn’t tell us. By the time we found out it was pretty deeply infected and he needed antibiotics, and to add to the shit storm, because of how underweight he was, he was stuck in the hospital until he had gained some weight.” Hal explained.

“Poor kid.” John sympathized.

“How the fuck did that slip your notice?” Guy demanded, his brash personality rearing its head.

“The cut was on his hip, we couldn’t see it and he didn’t tell us.” Hal explained, trying to be patient. “And he was never hungry, and we don’t want to make him have any more issues around food.”

“He’s six, you couldn’t get a little kid to eat his vegetables?” Guy pushed.

“Okay, first of all, my nephew is eight. Second of all, he’s been deeply traumatized and hasn’t had the best history of food security and it was recommended that forcing him to eat when he doesn’t want to would do more harm than good.”

“It’s really easy to make kids eat, just plug their nose, drop some food in their mouth when they open it to breath, and then rub their throat to make them swallow.” Alan piped up, not turning away from the window.

The table fell silent, the other members processing what their eldest member had just said. Finally, John broke the silence.

“That’s how you make dogs take pills, Alan, not feed human children.” 

“How different can they be?” Alan asked.

“Very different!” Hal exclaimed, “They are very different, and you know what, please don’t come near my son, ever, unless Barry or I are there to supervise.”

“Hold up! Hang on, is he your nephew or is he your son?” Guy asked, “Because you’ve used both in this conversation.”

Hal froze, realizing his friend had a point. He did frequently switch between the two terms, either when he was thinking of Wally, or when talking about him to someone else, though he previously hadn’t noticed.

“I- I have no idea.” Hal confessed, “I love the kid, and I have legal guardianship over him, but I don’t think he thinks of me as his dad.”

“That’s rough buddy.” John acknowledged.

Guy raised an eyebrow and took a drink of his beer. Hal took a page from his book and followed suit, bringing his mug up so he could drink. Alan just shrugged, obviously not concerned with Hal’s relationship with his little boy.

“How’s Barry doing, I know he’s staying home with Wally, he’s not going too stir crazy is he?” John asked.

“Oh no, he’s loving it! Wally’s gotten really playful and energetic lately, so he’s never bored.” 

“Do we get to meet this little boy of yours, or are we always going to just hear about him second hand?” Guy asked.

Hal paused, thinking to himself. He couldn’t deny that they would be valuable people for Wally to meet, they were some of the most trusted people in his life, and they were obviously invited to his ceremony, whenever it happened. But he couldn’t give them a definitive answer, there was a part of him that wanted to invite them over to the house after they finished their drinks so they could meet him, but that wouldn’t be fair to Wally. He didn’t want his little boy to meet his friends without any time to prepare himself, it wouldn’t be fair to spring a meeting on him.

“I don’t know.” He said, honestly. “I wish I could just bring you guys back home and you could meet him, but I don’t think it would be fair to him if I just sprung the three of you on him with no warning. I’ll talk to Barry when I get home and we can set up a date where all of us can get together and you can meet him.”

John and Guy nodded, both understanding the limitations the Hal was working with. Alan didn’t seem interested either way, never having had any interest in children and not overly invested in actually meeting Hal’s kid.

“Yeah man, whatever. Hell, if you want to introduce us one at a time, we can do that too.” John offered.

“I appreciate that, thank you.” 

“What’s the kid like?” 

Hal took a sip of his drink before responding. Mostly so he could contain himself so he wouldn’t just talk his friends ears off for hours.

“He’s really sweet. He’s only been living with us for a few months, but he’s really sweet, he’s gotten really cuddly, though he is still very shy. But Christ guys, I’ve seen the kids' grades, he is so smart, he’s going to be smarter than me, no question!” He gushed.

“I’d bet he’s passed that threshold already.” Guy muttered, giving him a teasing smile.

“Normally, I would be insulted, but my kid is so damn smart, it’s just a fact.” He responded, “He’s most certainly smarter than you.”

“Everyone is smarter than him.” Alan grumbled, tuning out of the conversation and looking out the window.

“Next to you, I’m Einstein, Jackass.” Guy returned.

John looked at Hal and rolled his eyes, tapping the table with his finger twice, letting the man beside Ha; know that he was in charge of breaking up the argument if it got out of hand. Hal nodded, letting his friend know he got the message. While John wasn’t their official leader, he didn’t have any higher status to lord over the others, it was generally accepted that he was the one with the most experience leading a group, it also made sense for them to follow Johns lead, given he was the most diplomatic of the crowd. Hal took a long drink, finishing his beer and setting his mug back down.

“I’m heading up to get another drink, you assholes want anything?” Hal asked, making a point of turning and addressing John separately, “John, can I grab you something?”

“Grab me a Stella.”

“I’m good.”

“I wouldn’t say no to a Coors.” 

Hal nodded, committing the order to his memory. He stood up and grabbed his empty mug off the table, heading over to the bar for another round. He grabbed the beer for the boys but got himself a can of Pepsi, not wanting to drink too much, especially when he still needed to go back home to Wally and Barry. He carefully balanced the drinks and made his way back to their booth, distributing the beverages to their recipients. He noticed John glance at his soda, though the former sniper didn’t say anything about it, he just took his drink with a nod of appreciation.

Hal slid back into his seat and took a sip of his soda, enjoying the taste. Guy and Alan had dropped their previous argument and were just sitting in silence, while John rambled about what he was doing for the few days he was planet side. Hal had to admit that being a Green Lantern was much better now that the Guardians had bent a little to their needs as humans, when he had first joined the Corps he had been away for months at a time, often by himself with no one else around for lightyears. 

When he had partnered with the other human lanterns, they had all banded together and gone to the Guardians, explaining some more about human psychology and how important human connections were to their mental health, managing to convince them that they needed more time to spend with their families and loved ones so they could better serve the universe. The benefits they got were fairly decent, he was currently on the years family leave provided to raise Wally. Though some had come from within the human lanterns themselves and the way they had teamed up to help each other.

The best example was Carol, his boss, she was a retired Star Sapphire who recognized the need for employment that would still be there when they got back from space, so she had set up ‘jobs’ for many of them. Hal himself was in a salaried position, always guaranteed $150, 000 a year, which allowed him to have a decent savings account, money for groceries when he was planet side, and pay for a mortgage with Barry in the house they shared. He did work for Carol when he was on Earth, flying planes and helping her with the paperwork. Banding together with his fellow lanterns had allowed him to actually get his life together, to have a strong relationship with the man who was now his husband, and now have the privilege to raise an amazing little boy with him, and he couldn’t be more thankful for them.

~~~~

The living room lights were still on when Hal walked up the front sidewalk, though the front door was locked and he had to punch in the code to get into the house. He heard the television on in the living room, but he couldn’t hear anybody moving around so he moved as carefully as he could to not make too much noise. He silently took off his boots and coat, putting them away in their respective places, then headed into the living room.

Both Barry and Wally were curled up on the couch together, the t.v on in the background. Wally was nestled in Barry’s lap with a blanket draped around him, his face was tucked into his uncles neck. Barry had his arms wrapped around the little boy, one hand on the back of his head while the other ran up and down his back. 

His husband opened his tired eyes, smiling at him over their nephew and lifting his hand off Wally’s head to wave at him. Hal waved back, taking a seat beside them and wrapping an arm around the blond, planting a kiss on the side of his head. He put a cautious hand on Wally’s back, feeling his steady breaths under his hand while he slept.

“He wanted to wait for you to come home before he went to bed.” Barry explained, though Hal hadn’t asked.

“Did he?”

“He did. He’s had his bath, brushed his teeth, and he’s in his pajamas, but he didn’t want to be in bed until you were here to tuck him in.” Barry paused, looking down at the sleeping little boy, “Unfortunately, he fell asleep before you could get here.”

Hal laughed, gently shifting Wally in Barry’s arm and giving him a kiss on his crown. He looked absolutely adorable, his hair still slightly damp from his bath and clad in his Flash pajamas, it was hard for Hal to not hold him close and never let him go.

“Are you okay if I take him to bed?” He asked Barry, moving his arms to take Wally if his husband handed him off.

“Of course. I figured you would want to, or I would have put him to bed already.” Barry responded, moving the sleeping child to the other man’s lap. “I’ll be in bed, when you’re done.”

Hal took his sleeping nephew from his husband, taking his time to get him settled in his arms comfortably before standing up and carrying him up to his room. He could feel Wally’s breath on his neck and his head resting heavily on his shoulder. The pilot took the stairs slowly, not wanting to disturb Wally’s slumber, carefully opening the door to his bedroom and stepping into the dark room.

Though he was supposed to put the child to bed, Hal delayed it, sitting on the edge of the bed and rocking him and kissing him. He was looking around the room a little while he did so, noticing a lego house on the desk, though the rest of the bricks were away in their bucket. Hal knew that Wally had taken a real liking to his legos, being his favourite things to play with, but he still felt that the kid needed more toys, particularly soft ones he could cuddle with. Smiling to himself, thinking of how different the room would look after Christmas while he finally got around to tucking Wally into bed, he draped the covers up to his chin, kissing him on the forehead.

“Goodnight, my Beautiful Boy.” He whispered, “I love you very much.”

He brushed his fingers over Wally’s cheek, kissing him once more before he left the room. He closed the door halfway, making his way down the hallway to his own bedroom, seeing Barry in their bed, already curled up and dozing off. Deciding to forgo a shower, Hal went to the bathroom and brushed his teeth and hair, then striped down to his boxers and crawled him with his husband. Barry didn’t say anything or even open his eyes, he just snuggled against Hal, sighing in contentment when he found a comfortable spot under his arm. Hal settled in and got comfy, kissing Barry’s forehead and closing his eyes, falling asleep with Barry’s forehead under his palm.


	34. Lazy Sunday Mornings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wally starts up his visits again, Hal tells Barry, and the two reminisce on Wally's progress

Hal woke up slowly, knowing from the lighting in the room that it wasn’t morning yet, so he wasn’t sure why he was up. He realised why when he heard the bedroom door move slightly, meaning that Wally was in the room. He smiled to himself while he thought about how happy Barry was going to be when he told him their shadow was back.

The bed dipped a little as Wally climbed up and crawled in between them. He was silent as ever but Hal noticed he was moving quicker than he had before, maybe he had missed his uncles as much as they had missed him. The little boy found his spot against Barry and laid down, resting his forehead against his chest and letting out a content sigh as he got comfortable.

Being as careful as he could possibly be, Hal tilted his head to look over Barry’s sleeping form to see the digital clock on his bedside table. As he had suspected, it was eleven o’clock, his usual time. Hal wasn’t sure if the routine was a conscious decision on the child's part, or if there was another factor at play, but at the very least, it made him easy to predict.

Though Wally normally only stayed fifteen minutes, as the clock ran out and he made no sign of moving, Hal started to think he might stay longer. Wally’s one hand was tucked under his chin while his face was buried in the blankets covering Barry. All Hal wanted to do was lift the boy up and bring him under the covers with them, he looked absolutely precious snuggled up against Barry and Hal thought he would look even cuter under the blankets with them.

Unfortunately, all too soon Wally shifted and started moving, sitting up and rubbing at his eyes with his hands. Hal quickly shut his own eyes and forced the smile from his face, trying to look like he was asleep so Wally wouldn’t suspect anything. He felt the redhead crawl off the bed and heard the door squeak as he moved it, only moving when he was sure that Wally wasn’t near enough to see him and know he’d been caught. Hal carefully bridged the divide between himself and his sleeping husband, carefully sliding his arms around him and pulling Barry against his chest, dipping his head to nuzzle into his feathery blond hair. He could hardly wait for the morning sun, when he could spend Sunday morning cuddling with his lover and tell him that their little guest was back.

~~~~

Barry woke up slowly and without any rush, feeling that alluring fogginess in the quiet space between being asleep and being awake, he would have been happy just to stay in that zone for a ew more minutes, but he was woken by the smell of coffee. While he didn’t make a habit out of drinking it, he loved the smell, one because it smelled good, and two because it let him know Hal was awake.

Shifting in the bed, he tugged the covers back up to his chin while he mentally mapped his surroundings without opening his eyes. He could feel that Hal was still beside him on the bed, but knew he wasn’t lying down based on how the mattress felt, he could also tell that there was sunshine flickering in through the blinds. He must have been moving more than he thought he was because Hal put a gentle hand on his shoulder, rubbing his thumb over the blankets and making him still.

“Morning Beautiful.” Hal greeted.

Barry hummed and shifted once more, opening his eyes and sitting up slowly. Hal was leaning against the headboard of the bed, his legs under the covers, but his chest exposed to the outside air, he had a cup of coffee on the bedside table beside him, and an episode of some show running quietly on his laptop.

“Good morning.” Barry returned.

Scooting closer to the other man, Barry tucking himself under Hal’s arm to cuddle while he properly woke up. Hal readily went along, tugging the blond closer and giving him a few kisses on the forehead before tilting his head up for a proper kiss. When they broke apart, Barry rested his head against Hal’s shoulder.

“Did you have a good sleep?” Barry asked.

“I did, how was your rest?” 

“It was lovely.”

Hal smiled widely, pausing his show and giving Barry his undivided attention. 

“I have some very good news for you.” He told Barry.

Instantly, Barry perked up under his arm, eager to hear whatever Hal had to tell him.

“Do you?”

“I do.” He teased.

Barry poked him in the side impatiently, urging him to skip to the end. Under usual circumstances, Hal would continue to tease him, but he was excited to pass on the information so he obliged his husband’s curiosity. He leaned in close, his lips just touching Barry’s ear, he could feel Barry shiver as he breathed against his sensitive ear.

“Wally crawled in with us last night.” He whispered.

Hal had to swiftly tilt his head when Barry sat bolt upright at the news, nearly cracking him in the brow with his skull. The smile on Barry’s face was blinding, brighter and more mesmerizing than the milky way and Hal could have looked at that smile all day. The blond started squirming in excitement and happiness, running his hand through his cornsilk hair.

“He did?” Barry demanded, grabbing Hal’s shoulder and squeezing hard.

“Yes, he did.” Hal laughed, prying Barry’s hand off of his person. “And if you would please stop trying to disconnect my arm, I’ll gladly tell you.”

Barry smiled sheepishly, loosening his grip on Hal’s shoulder, rubbing his hand over the area he had grabbed. Hal put his hands on Barry’s hips, tugging him and pulling him sideways into his lap, able to hold him close and also speak quietly so they wouldn’t be overheard.

“Tell me everything.” Barry whispered, snuggling close.

“He crawled in with us at around eleven and snuggled right up against you, it was honestly adorable. He didn’t say anything, he wasn’t crying or upset, I honestly think he was trying not to fall asleep when he was curled up with you.” Hal rattled off, “He stayed a bit longer than he did before we took him to the hospital and I honestly almost just brought him under the covers so he could properly cuddle with us.”

He held up his and to reassure Barry when the blond opened his mouth to interrupt.

“I didn’t and I won’t, until you and I can agree on how we want to go about this. I’m just saying I was tempted to.” 

Barry nodded, smiling like a kid on Christmas as he thought about how the scene must have gone down. Because of how deeply he slept, he had never been awake when Wally got onto the bed with them, but he had heard about those nights second hand from Hal, so he had to imagine based on those.

“Was he near my stomach again?” He asked.

“Hmm, closer to your mid chest. Around here” 

Hal placed his palm flat against Barry’s chest, roughly where Wally had rested his head a mere few hours ago. Barry covered Hal’s hand with his own, imagining how it must have looked for the pilot. He imagined Wally with his forehead pressed against his chest with his hand curled and resting near his face, thinking about how Wally had cuddled with Hal in the hospital and when he had fallen asleep in his lap the first night they had brought him back home.

He partially wished that Hal had gone back on his promise to not acknowledge the boy when he came to visit them. He wanted to wake up with Wally still there, preferably under the covers and cuddling with the both of them. The other half of him wanted to wait it out, to see if Wally would progress on his own. Hal had told him that Wally had stayed longer than he ever had before, so he was already taking steps on his own. He was worried that if he was confronted about it, Wally might not respond well and would stop doing it all together, or worse, he might pull back from any physical affections at all. 

Wally had taken great strides in his recovery, he had so much more energy, able to run and play like an actual eight year old, not just a frightened shadow. He had also gained weight, not fully enough to be in the average range for a child his age, but he was making progress, assisted by the fact that he actually seemed to want to eat now. Emotionally, he had also improved, he was giggly and happy when he was playing with Barry or Hal, and he was getting a lot better with them, cuddling after supper and giving hugs when Hal came home.

“What’s on your mind StrawBarry?” Hal asked, breaking Barry out of his thoughts.

“I’m just thinking about what we should do about this, how we can handle this properly.”

“Any ideas?” Hal asked.

“Not really.” Barry groaned, “This feels like a jenga tower, if we pull the wrong block, the whole tower collapses and we have to start all over again. I don’t want to make Wally anxious so he won’t feel safe anymore, but I also want him to know that he can come to us and that we’re willing to meet him halfway.”

Hal rubbed his back in sympathy, kissing the side of his head.

“If it helps, I think we would have to actively try to fuck everything up with this. I don’t think he would keep coming back if he really thought we were going to be furious about it, so as long as we’re gentle and kind, it should just be an invitation to properly sleep with us and not anything traumatic.” Hal offered.

“That does help actually.” Barry chuckled.

The two fell back into silence, snuggling and holding each other. Barry knew that Hal was feeling strongly about something, feeling the Lantern ring pulse against his hip on Hal’s finger, and he didn’t have to wait long for Hal to tell him what was on his mind.

“I think we need to have this conversation before the holidays.” Hal said.

“Why?” Barry asked, “I’m not disagreeing, I just want to know why.”

“If we’re going to have him around large groups of people, he’s going to be stressed. I think that if we have this conversation long before the holidays, he could be more open to coming to talk to us if he’s overwhelmed.” Hal explained.

Barry nodded, able to easily follow the logic Hal was laying down and found himself agreeing with him. Christmas and New Years were already going to be a stressful time for Wally, with groups of people talking and being so close, and having to be introduced to nearly everybody would be a strain on him and it would be nice if there was an extra step of trust towards them taken long before that.

“I see your point, I agree.” Barry accepted, “What do you think is the best way to handle it?”

“I think we should do it on a Friday or Saturday night, so that we can all just spend the next morning together. I think waking up with both of us there to talk to and cuddle with would really drive home the point that he isn’t in any trouble and that we like having him in with us.” Hal suggested.

Barry nodded in agreement, already convinced that they should do it on a night when they didn’t have to be anywhere in the morning.

“That sounds smart, let’s go with that. I also think that we should talk to him right when you pull him up, just so he doesn’t spend the entire night worrying.”

“Oh yeah, I was going to. The last thing we want is for him to be stressed about our reaction.” Hal agreed, “Is there anything else we need?”

“I think we should be good, this isn’t like before the hospital where he only just tolerated us, he really trusts us now. If we play our cards right, then this should be nothing more than an invitation to come closer.”   
“So we’ll put this plan into action this upcoming weekend?” The pilot asked.

“Yeah, that should be fine. That should give us plenty of time to prepare and give him time to get comfortable with coming onto the bed again.”

He felt Hal nod against his neck, already closing his eyes and shifting on Hal’s lap to get comfy. They had all Sunday to spend together and Barry wanted to spend the morning cuddling with the man he loved, soaking up the warmth that radiated from Hal’s tan skin. Barry felt the arm on his waist tighten and hold him closer, giggling quietly while Hal’s breath tickled his neck.

“I love you.” Barry muttered against Hal’s shoulder.

“I love you too Gorgeous.” Hal whispered into his neck.

Sudden sound from the laptop indicated that Hal had resumed whatever he had been watching. Barry started wriggling, pushing Hal’s thighs until there was a gap between them large enough for him to sit in, pressing his back against his chest. Hal wrapped one arm around his waist and used the free hand to grab his coffee, the smell of it growing more prominent as he brought it to his mouth for a sip.

“I can’t believe you went to make yourself a coffee and didn’t make me tea.” Barry teased, turning his head to kiss Hal’s cheek.

“Don’t like you enough.” Hal teased back, pushing the cup near his face. “You can have a sip of this if you’d like.”

“Eww no, it tastes so bitter!” Barry laughed, turning away.

“Well, it’s all I’ve got for you, take it or leave it.”

“Leave it, it’s gross.”

“I have caught you with a mug of my coffee before, you don’t hate it that much!” Hal pointed out.

“Just to smell it!” Barry defended, “It smells good, it just tastes gross. That’s why when I do drink it, I mix it with hot chocolate, if I can.”

Hal started laughing, his stomach shaking against Barry’s back, making him laugh too. He felt Hal lean his forehead against the back of his neck and the hot air from his laughter down the back of his shirt.

“I love you, so much!” Hal laughed, kissing the back of his neck.

“Well I wish I could say it back, but I have to go make myself tea, since you didn’t make any for me!” Barry joked.

It took some wriggling and a bit of a fight, but Barry was able to break Hal’s grip on his waist and slid out of bed, his feet hitting the cold floor. He made it to the doorway before turning around, blowing Hal a kiss, which the brunette caught playfully and brought to his lips. Barry rolled his eyes, shaking his head as he made his way into the hallway and down the stairs, stepping into the cold kitchen with a shiver.

Not wasting a second, Barry licked down the lever of the pre-filled kettle, listening for it to turn on before grabbing what else he needed. He grabbed one of his favourite mugs, one Hal had gotten for him for a birthday that had ‘I may make bad science jokes, but only periodically’ written on it, with a few beakers of coloured liquid decorating it. From there, he opened the cupboard containing the tea and coffee, selecting a chai tea for that morning, he tossed a tea bag into his mug and put the rest back into the cupboard.

All of that only took him a few minutes, leaving him with time to kill before his water was done heating up. Deciding to check up on his nephew, Barry left the kitchen and quietly climbed the stairs, turning away from his own bedroom and toward Wally’s. The door was mostly shut, touching the frame but not fastened in it, so Barry knocked lightly, pushing it open when he didn’t get a response.

As he had been hoping, Wally was still asleep in his bed with the blinds closed. He had the blankets drawn all the way up to his chin, so the only parts of his face exposed were his nose and eyes. Barry leaned against the doorframe with a small,loving smile on his face, taking his time committing the scene to memory so he could always look back on it. He had heard Oliver complain more than once that children grew up too fast, saying that the three and a half years he had had with Roy had gone by in the blink of an eye. So for all his might, Barry was trying not to blink.

All too soon, he had to go, hearing the kettle whistling in the kitchen downstairs and knew that if he didn’t go turn it off, it would wake Wally up, the little boy deserved to sleep for a bit longer. Forcing himself to move, Barry stepped out of the doorway and pulled the door back to how it had been when he found it. He was still smiling to himself as he made his way back downstairs, hurrying to quiet the kettle.

He was still smiling to himself as he carried his beverage carefully back to his bedroom, his heart feeling tender while he thought about his sleeping little boy just one door away. He set the mug down on the table beside Hal’s and crawled back in between his thighs to rest against his chest, being greeted with a kiss on the head after he was settled.

“You’re a lot more smiley than you were when you left.” Hal commented. “What’s got you so happy.”

“Wally.”

Hal perked up behind him, looking out the door as though he could see the red head.

“Is he up already?”

“No, not yet. I just went to check on him while I was waiting for my water to boil and he looked so cute, it’s made me all giddy.” Barry sighed, running his thumb in a circle over the back of Hal’s hand.

“I swear, the two of you are exactly alike.” Hal chuckled, “He’s coming to you while you’re sleeping or comfort, you’re going to check in on him while he’s sleeping, it’s funny.”

Barry nudged him in the stomach with his elbow, relaxing against Hal’s chest.

“I’ve been thinking about what Ollie said, about how kids grow up so fast, it’s like you blink and you miss it. I’m really hoping he’s wrong.” He confided.

“He’s not, I already feel like these past few months have gone by so fast, it feels like we brought him home for the first time yesterday.” 

“Do you remember how small he looked when we first got him? Plugged into all those wires, and the PEG tube that he had?” Barry asked.

“Mhmm, before he had properly recovered from the concussion so we dragged the armchair up to his room and took turns sleeping in it? God that must have been so rough on him.” Hal said with a noticeable wince.

“I don’t think he really remembers having the PEG inserted, that was when he was recovering from the surgery and was still in the coma.” Barry offered.

“But he was partially awake when we brought him home and it clearly bugged him, we always had to stop him from pawing at it. And I was there when we brought him to the doctor to remove it and he wept when it was pulled out.” Hal countered, squeezing Barry tight, “It’s hard to think about where he started, he was so banged up he could hardly breath without the oxygen mask. It’s amazing to me that the same boy who nearly died three times in the hospital is now playing in the snow and snuggling up with us after dinner.”

“His age saved him.” Barry quoted.

One of the first things the doctor who had worked with Wally had told them after he had made it to the point where he was definitely going to survive was that his age had saved him. The fact that his body was still forming and developing meant that most of the injuries that would have been crippling to an adult would serve as more of a setback for a kid his age, his body correcting itself with assistance from the doctors. Given that his brain was still forming the neurons and connections it had needed to make before it had been damaged meant that they could be reformed or redirected once the swelling had gone down.

The doctor had stressed that, if Wally had been even a few years older, he likely would have died, and if he hadn’t, he would have been confined to a wheelchair or hospital bed for the remainder of what little life he would have had left while his body slowly succumbed to the damage dealt. The relief of not having to wonder about whether Wally would still be alive when they came back in the morning had let all four of them breathe easier, and had led to the discussions that had ultimately resulted in the decision that Hal and Barry would take the child home.

Of course, they had been warned that the mental injuries would heal slower than the physical ones. They had been warned of something called Toxic Stress Syndrome, which Wally probably suffered from and could affect him for the rest of his life without proper treatment. They had already seen the panic attacks and the chronic mistrust Wally had towards most adults aside from his Aunt Iris, and both Hal and Barry had done loads of reading on child psychology and mental health. To this day, Hal attributed their shared trait of adopted red haired children who had been mistreated to Barry and Oliver's tentative friendship. 

There was still a long way to go, Wally would probably never fully recover from what he had endured at the mercy of his parents. They had been warned that he might always struggle with trust issues and anxiety, so they had to be mindful about how they raised him. Even if they were angry with him, yelling at him could frighten him so badly that he wouldn’t learn the lesson they wanted him to learn, and they had been advised to check on him after an argument or discipline to make sure that he wasn’t punishing himself.

On Oliver and Dinah’s advise, both of them had written letters to themselves from Wally’s perspective, detailing how he might struggle with trusting them or relying on him, asking them to be patient when his mental health made things trying on them, and reminding them that he was even more scared than they were, so he needed them to be brave to show him how to be strong. Barry’s letter was hidden away in a keepsake box on one of his shelves in the closet while Hal’s was in the glovebox of his car, there to remind both of them that they needed to be patient and kind when parenting Wally.

The league had been another big help, Bruce had pulled strings behind the scenes to make sure Wally wound up with his uncles and a very charitable donation from the Martha Wayne Foundation was paying for their lawyers and hospital bills. Another reason Wally had recovered in full was Arthur, who had quietly smuggled up a potion with healing attributes from some of Atlantis’s best healers to the family, along with detailed instructions on how to use it and how to dispose of the remainder. In addition, Barry didn’t think he would have been strong enough to be a stay at home dad without the support and advice of Ollie, who had really pulled through for him, despite years of arguing, to share his own tips and experiences with raising an adopted child. Finally, Alfred had blessed their freezer with ready made casseroles and meals that just needed to be reheated in the oven, taking the strain of meal planning off their plates for months.

The whole thing had been heartbreaking and heartwarming all at the same time. The people he was so lucky to have in his circle had rallied around them to help, offering to patrol Central so he could take a break from being The Flash, making sure the very best lawyer in the state was on their case and the one who had barely passed the bar exam was on Rudy’s, and already offering to step in and babysit or just visit for a few hours so he and Hal could take a breather. There had also been shovel talks, as Barry had been expecting, he had given one to Oliver and Dinah when Roy had been fostered. The whole league took the weight of properly raising a child incredibly seriously, especially as they saw the damage a rough childhood could do to a person's psyche. Members of the league Barry had always respected had come to his door with promises to make him disappear if he ever mistreated Wally, Bruce’s spiel had been terrifying and the threat he had received from Diana still brought shivers to his spine. Wally had no idea how many people were already in his corner, ready to go to bat for him if he ever needed them.

Barry was pulled out of his thoughts by Hal pressing his hot mug into his chilly hands, dragging him back to the present, where Wally was just sleeping in his bed, not concussed and partially comatose. He gratefully took a sip of his tea, smiling to himself as an episode of Scrubs played on Hal’s personal laptop, both adults listening for signs that Wally was awake. Barry leaned back against Hal, breathing in the comfy smells of their bedroom and letting them relax him, they could all use a lazy Sunday morning.


	35. Sunday Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry and Hal make diner and have a continuance of their conversation from earlier that morning

Hal had his arms around Barry while they swayed in the kitchen, he had his head rested on the shorter man’s shoulder, looking down at the stove while Barry worked. The scene was very similar to one that had played out around a week prior, the two in the kitchen while Wally played in his room upstairs. Barry didn’t mind the familiarity, enjoying the comfort and safety having Hal behind him provided, the warmth of having someone else pressed against his back that warded off the chill of the fan wasn’t unwelcome either. Occasionally, Hal’s phone would chime and he would pull back for a moment to respond to whomever he was texting with, based on the huffs of laughter Barry kept hearing behind him, he figured it was either Ollie or Guy.

The kitchen was filled with the smell of the cooking roast in the oven, making Barry’s mouth water every time he breathed in. There was water set aside on a smaller flame to boil the corn and Barry was currently working on the mashed potatoes for their dinner and he had bribed Hal to make his yorkshire puddings but they needed to wait for the beef to be more cooked before those could be started. 

Barry heard Hal’s ringtone chime and then felt Hal’s grip loosen on his waist as his husband checked his message. He felt a rush of warm air as Hal burst out laughing at whatever text message he had received, Hal’s soft hair tickling the back of his neck as he rested his head against his back. 

“What’s so funny Babe?” Barry asked while his husband devolved into hysterics.

“I’m texting with Ollie and he was telling me that yesterday Roy brought his bow up to the kitchen to grab a snack before heading back to the range. Apparently he put it on the counter and when Dinah told him not to do that, he said ‘ _Ma, it’s just my bow_ ’ in his best scottish accent. I guess Ollie broke down laughing so hard he couldn’t even have her back for the ‘weapons do not come into the kitchen’ conversation.” Hal explained while still laughing.

“That is something Roy would do.” Barry said.

“I honestly think Ollie’s doing himself a disservice by not doing a paternity test on that kid, were it not or the hair, Roy would be his spitting image.”

“He’s Ollie’s by influence if not by blood.” Barry acknowledged, “But he’s got Dinah’s glare, where she crosses her arms and narrows her eyes at you, I noticed when we went to visit that he’s picked that up too.”

“Well I guess after three and a half years, the kid’s bound to pick up some of their traits. So provided that’s universal, I can’t wait to see if Kaldur starts copying Arthur.” Hal agreed.

“Oh my gosh, that would be legitimately frightening. I’m hoping he gets more of Mera’s traits or he’ll be uncontrollable as a teenager.” Barry groaned.

“Yes, because Mera is such a restraining force!” Hal laughed, “I’ve seen her finish a fight with five armed men while doing her lipstick, and that was when she was distracted. If Kaldur ends up like her then he’s going to be really good at doing makeup and also down to fight anyone.”

“Yeah, but I’ve seen Arthur talk exclusively with a shrimp in Bruce’s fish tank while drunk, so at the very least, I hope the kid doesn’t drink.” Barry countered.

Hal laughed again, pausing the conversation to text Ollie back. He put his phone back in his pocket and wrapped Barry in a hug again.

“So the take away then is that both Arthur and Mera are deeply weird people and Kaldur is doomed.” Hal summed up.

“Yeah but they’re both good people, so Kaldur will be a very nice young man, but he might also eat flowers and rescue lobsters from restaurant fish tanks. I’m sure Arthur has his best interests at heart.”

“Do you think Arthur and Mera might have their own kids?” Hal asked. 

Barry had to pause to think for a moment. Realistically, it would make sense for the pair to have a baby of their own, one who was flesh and blood not just family, Arthur was Kind of Atlantis and when he was gone his country would need a leader. Orm was his blood brother and if Arthur couldn’t bring in a secure heir to the throne before he passed, his half brother would fill it, and Orm wasn’t as passive towards the surface world as his half brother.

All that being said, Arthur had never expressed an interest in children, other than Kaldur, and Barry suspected that the affection his friend had for the boy was accidental. Mera had never been outspoken about wanting an infant, she had never brought them up in conversation, never mentioned starting a family with Arthur, and had never seemed overly interested in children. The only instance he could recall Mera being interested in a baby had been when they had all been out in a group and Diana had started a conversation with a new mother at the table next to them who had her young baby with her. Mera had asked maybe a handful of questions and had then gone back to her drink.

“I don’t know.” Barry answered, “Of all of us, they’re the ones who I would bet would have a baby, but they’ve never shown or mentioned any interest in it.”

“Yeah my thoughts too. I mean, I was honestly surprised when Kaldur turned up, I can’t imagine them having a baby.”

“But I guess with our lives, none of us ever really planned on having kids. I remember Dinah telling me that she didn’t like the idea of being pregnant and would only keep a pregnancy if she found out too late to do anything about it.” Barry said, “However, Mera isn’t as involved as Arthur is, so maybe that will change.”

“Anything’s possible.”

The pair fell back into thought silence, Hal letting go of Barry to start on the yorkshire puddings while the blond continued his work on the potatoes and vegetables. He had to step to the side eventually, only for a moment as Hal slid the muffin tray into the oven and started the timer. The brunette moved back once the door was closed so Barry could get back in front of the stove, then wrappered Barry back into a hug from behind and nuzzled into the side of his neck, pressing some kisses behind his jaw.

Barry tilted his head to the side to give Hal better access to his neck, enjoying the kisses. Normally, he and Hal wouldn’t be so touchy in the kitchen but they could hear Wally playing by himself upstairs, so they were indulging themselves a bit. He knew they didn’t have much time, the kitchen was overwhelmed by the smells of dinner and Wally would come down when he could smell the food, which was any moment now. Hal must have had the same thought, because he stopped kissing Barry’s neck and just rested his chin on his shoulder.

“Can you believe we’re parents now?” Hal asked in a whisper.

“Not really.” Barry responded in the same low tone. “I had that thought earlier today, that I never thought we would end up here and yet here we are.”

In all their time together, the pair had never discussed having children until Wally had wound up in the hospital. Given Barry’s job as a forensic tech at the police that required flexibility on his part, as well as his duties as the Flash, Barry was frequently busy. As for Hal, being a Green Lantern could keep him off world for weeks or even months at a time. It had been an unspoken agreement that they weren’t prime candidates to raise the next generation, nor were any of their friends.

But then Roy had turned up at an archery competition Ollie had attended with DInah, the pair had met the child and continued to see him at other state competitions and had grown attached. They had found out Roy was in the foster care system on the Navajo Native Reserve after witnessing the nine year old argue with his foster mother about him continuing practicing his archery. By then, the Queens had grown somewhat attached to him and had applied to become foster parents, hoping to adopt him eventually.

The whole thing had come as a shock to the league and there had been a huge strain between them as half sided with the Queens in adopting the boy and the other half thought they were bringing him into danger. Barry had been among those who thought Ollie and Dinah were being stupid, though his disdain for Oliver had clouded his vision on the matter. He had only changed his mind six months into Roy being fostered by the Queens, after Ollie and Dinah had missed two weeks worth of league meetings for seemingly no reason, when Barry had gone to confront the archer, he had discovered that the reason had been because Roy was sick and both of them were taking care of him.

After that, the prospect of leaguers having children had become more probable and less frowned upon among the group. However, Hal and Barry had never discussed it as neither had considered it a possibility, accidently having children wasn’t a biological possibility and they weren’t actively looking to adopt kids. In hindsight, it might have been better if they had, because it meant that when Wally had needed a home, they had to rush the entire thing.

Overall, Barry was now grateful that Oliver and Dinah had been the first to have children and not them. Barry and Hal had babysat or the other couple multiple times, and Hal had begun a tradition with the young archer where the two would go out to a small cafe once a week whenever the Lantern was on the planet. If Barry hadn’t had those experiences to build from, he would have been mostly blind as to how Hal was with children and it would have made an already stressful situation even more straining for the couple.

It had also given them people they could go to for advice when they needed it. Oliver and Dinah had applied to foster to adopt a child under the best of circumstances, they had had almost six weeks to prepare his room and take a class all foster parents had to take along with with getting into contact with other parents like them. When Roy had finally come into their home, he was able to walk, speak, and go to the bathroom by himself, however, having been in the foster care system since he was two, he had some issues. Ollie and Dinah had been quick to offer advice and support to them on what might help them adjust to Wally and for helping Wally heal from the trauma.

Roy had been helpful too, in his own way. He had called Hal and given him a rundown on how it felt to be in the foster care system, always on the move, never knowing when the rug was going to be pulled out from under him, and how it was hammered into his head that he was running out of time with every birthday that passed. It had been made clear to him once he turned seven that his likelihood of being adopted was next to nothing and he had spent the next two years feeling like he would never be properly loved. He had begged Hal to only take Wally if he was certain, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that they could keep him, because nothing hurt worse than being given up on by someone you thought was unconditional, Hal even remembered the threat the child had made to him.

“If you give up on him, I will never forgive you. Ever.” He had whispered through the phone.

Hal had confessed to him that his nephew's threat held far more weight than any of his friends. Roy had a far better idea of what Wally was going through than anybody else, he had been stuck in loveless homes with people who didn’t make it a secret that he wasn’t wanted, some of them had hit him. Hal knew that if he made any mistake with Wally and Roy found out about it, he would never fully have his trust again, would never be ‘Uncle Hal’ again, and he would always be an ass to his nephew.

Barry had watched as Hal hung up the phone and flew off towards the Queen residence in the middle of the night. His husband had spent the rest of the night there, promising Roy that Wally would never be anything but safe and loved with him and Barry. In the morning, Ollie had sent him a text of Roy and Hal sitting on the couch, Roy had been in Hal’s lap with obvious tear stains down his face with Hal’s jacket wrapped around him. The picture had come with a text message reading ‘ _forget my shovel talk, if you fuck this_ _up you have to explain it to my son_ ’ and that had nearly broken Barry’s heart.

So the two had taken Roy’s stories to heart, they had made sure that Wally’s room was cozy and warm. They had piled his bed with more blankets than he reasonably needed so he would never be cold, they had kept as many items they could from his room at his parents place, which hadn’t been much. The logic had been that Wally needed to break the connection he had with those items on his own, throwing them away before he was ready to be done with them might not be intentionally unkind but it wouldn’t necessarily help him. They had also kept Roy as in the loop as they responsibly could, showing him that they were doing their best to be good parents.

The Queens had also sent a few gifts for Wally, including some books and a few toys. Many of which Roy had selected, knowing roughly what a boy Wally’s age would want and need, given that he was in a similar age range. Oliver had given the two some advice on how to not seem threatening to a frightened child, which had been extremely helpful over the months.

“I think we’re very lucky.” Barry blurted out.

Hal startled slightly at the sudden outburst from his husband. Though he took it in stride and squeezed Barry’s waist gently.

“We are. We’re very lucky.” He agreed.

“I mean, Wally’s doing so well, we have some amazing friends, we’re in a happy relationship. We are very lucky.” Barry rambled, mostly to himself.

“Yes we are.”

Hal would have liked to ask Barry where that line of thought had come from but didn’t get the chance as he heard Wally come creeping down the stairs. The little boy crossed through the doorway into the kitchen, looking at his uncles, Hal and Barry made a point to never do anything more than give each other very innocent kisses and cuddle in front of Wally. It would be wildly inappropriate for them to be anything other than PG where the kid could see or hear them, so Barry wasn’t concerned about how they were touching each other, hugs were certainly okay for him to see.

“Hi Sweetheart.” Hal greeted the boy.

“Hey.” Wally replied, waving at him.

“What’s up Kiddo?” Barry asked.

Wally turned sheepish, ducking his head and scratching behind his head. Both Hal and Barry knew why Wally had come downstairs, because he could smell the food, but it was still a struggle for Wally to admit that he wanted something to eat, so they were purposefully asking in hope that he would get more comfortable asking for food.

“I was, I just, I-” Wally stammered, squirming in place, “I wanted to help set the table.”

That was a step up, Barry had to admit it. It wasn’t asking for food yet, but it was a step in the right direction, so they were going to encourage it.

“Do you?” Hal asked, “Alright, thank you.”

The pilot released his hold on Barry and started grabbing cutlery out of the drawer to hand over to Wally. The plates were a bit too heavy for him to carry and they were breakable if dropped, so Hal or Barry would usually bring them over while Wally distributed forks, knives, and spoons. 

The forensic tech watched with fondness in his eyes as Wally followed Hal around the table, placing the cutlery beside the plates his uncle was setting down. Wally was grinning and bouncing along with the older man, getting scooped up for a hug when he had set the last fork down on the table. Barry used the opportunity of Wally not being on the ground to get the roast out of the oven without having to worry about the child getting close to it and burning himself. He started transferring the food to the table, setting down heat mats for the pans so they wouldn’t burn the table.

Barry started serving food onto the plates as Hal got Wally settled on his seat. He was dishing out the potatoes when Hal pulled the yorkshires out of the oven and carefully moved them from the muffin tin into a shallow dish to bring to the table for them. With all of them seated around the table, they began eating the meal, falling into silence while they ate.

~~~~

Wally crept down the dark hallway, still shaking from his nightmare. It was the same one he had been having since he had been in the house, and had been a near nightly occurrence for him. In the dream, he was alone in the house without knowing where Uncle Hal or Uncle Barry were, often at night. Inevitably, his father would show up to take him, ordering that he come back to Nebraska with him, telling him that his uncles had called him and said they didn’t want him anymore.

Despite the fact that neither Hal nor Barry ever appeared in the dream, Wally always got the feeling that his dad was telling the truth and his Uncles no longer wanted him. The feeling of loss that always settled in his chest when his dream-self found out he was going back to his father was palatable and remained after he woke up. He had ever actually made it back to his parents home in the dream, he always woke up when his father grabbed his arm and started dragging him to his car.

Having struggled through that same nightmare time after time, Wally had a decent idea of how to make himself feel better. The first option was to go lay with Uncle Barry for a while, to let that awful feeling in his chest fade away while listening to his uncles breath beside him. His other option was to find a small place to curl up and spend the rest of the night hidden away, his best spot was under his bed, tucked in the corner where it would be difficult to grab him. Unsurprisingly, he preferred to go see his uncles to calm down, but when he didn’t think he could be quiet enough to not wake them up, he would just drag his pillow under the bed and spend the rest of the night there.

Tonight though, he was certain that he could be silent so he wouldn’t wake them up. He made sure to take slow, calculated steps so the floorboards wouldn’t creak and give him away. When he made it to the foot of the bed, he paused to look at where Uncle Hal and Uncle Barry were under the blankets so he wouldn’t put his knee down on either of them when he crawled in between them, and then carefully hoisted himself up. Out of caution, he never crawled up higher than Uncle Barry’s shoulders, just so he wouldn’t accidentally wake him up, and also because he found it easier to wind down when he could feel the older man breath.

Laying down on top of the covers, Wally shifted so close to Uncle Barry that his forehead was pushed against his chest. Getting comfy, he gripped the comforter in his fists and started taking deep breaths while he calmed down from his nightmare. He felt a few tears slide down his cheeks while he settled himself down, biting his lip to stay quiet and not wake up the adults.

With the comforting presence of his uncles around him, it didn’t take long for that weight in his chest to subside and taper off, making it infinitely easier to breath. Wally still didn’t leave, reluctant to leave the comfort and warmth that he felt while laying with them, it wasn’t that his own bed wasn’t warm but it was frigid compared to their bed. Eventually, he had to drag himself out of their bed, sitting up and blinking to wake up enough to go back to his own room quietly. He toyed with the idea of staying longer but he was so tired he was worried he would fall asleep. Given how nice the pair had been to him already with the hugs and the kisses after supper, he didn’t think they would be furious to find him in their bed with them, but he was screwed if they made him stop, so he didn’t want them to find out.

Wriggling his way to the foot of the bed and off the side, he couldn’t stop the audible whine he made when his feet touched the cold floor. He immediately slapped his hand over his mouth and fled the room, pinching himself roughly in anger, he had worked so hard to be silent only to ruin it at the last minute. He was still mentally berating himself as he crawled into his own bed, rubbing his hands together once he was under the covers to warm himself up.

Soon, his exhaustion caught up to him and started weighing on his eyelids, making it nearly impossible to keep his eyes open. Subcombing to his body’s need for sleep, Wally tucked himself into a ball and rested his head on his pillow, slipping his thumb into his mouth for a sprinkle of extra comfort. Closing his eyes and finding himself unable to open them, he drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not gonna lie guys, I didn't do so well on my online classes this quadmester and my mental health is in the damn toilet. I'm still continuing this story but the writing might not be up to par and I'm sorry. I love you all lots and thank you all for your patience.


	36. Sledding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry, Wally, Iris, and Joe go sledding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the radio silence, I hope the length of this chapter makes up for it.

Barry tugged Hal’s sweater up around his shoulders while he made himself breakfast. Hal had already left for work, so he wasn’t there to tease him about stealing his clothes for himself and say that it wasn’t fair that Barry could steal his clothes but Hal couldn’t steal his. In Barry’s defense, it wasn’t his fault that he was smaller than average for a guy and Hal was built like a California surfer, tall and broad with bulky muscle. Barry had offered to share his clothes with Hal, but it wasn’t his fault if they cut off circulation. 

He was making himself breakfast while he waited for Wally to wake up and had grabbed one of Hal’s sweaters because he was cold. Hal had told him that Wally had crawled in with them again the previous night, snuggling up with him and spending around twenty minutes in their bed with them. As they had previously discussed, they were hoping to confront the little boy about it on Friday or Saturday, so Barry had to wait at least five days until he could, hopefully, have a lazy morning in bed with both his husband and nephew.

Plating his breakfast, Barry turned off the stove and brought his meal to the table to eat. He was listening for footsteps upstairs to let him know his little boy was up, hoping that Wally was in a happy, playful mood this morning as Iris had given him a text saying that she had a day off and was wondering if he wanted to bring Wally to a nearby park with a hill to toboggan with her and Joe. Obviously, Barry thought that was a great idea and wanted to go, but he had to be a responsible adult and make sure Wally was also excited about it so he needed to wait for the boy to wake up first.

When he had finished his breakfast and had put his plate and utensils in the dishwasher, he went upstairs to his bedroom to change into clothes rather than just his pajamas. He put on a warm pair of wool socks, a pair of thick pants, and a cozy long sleeve shirt, he also kept Hal’s sweater on him. If they did wind up going sledding with Iris and Joe, Barry didn’t want to get too cold. And it smelt like his husband. Going back downstairs, Barry refilled his teacup and curled up on the sofa to wait for his nephew to wake up, texting with Iris about everything and nothing.

Eventually, he heard tiny footsteps upstairs, hearing Wally getting dressed and brushing his teeth, trembling with excitement knowing that soon he would be able to ask Wally if he wanted to go play with his aunt and grandpa. He was ecstatic when he saw Wally step into the room, dressed in a casual tee shirt and jeans. When Wally saw his uncle he hurried over for a good morning hug, Barry enthusiastically returning the affection by scooping him up and settling him on his lap to cuddle.

‘Good morning Baby.” Barry greeted sweetly, pressing soft kisses to the top of Wally’s head.

“Morning Uncle Barry.” The boy responded.

Wally wrapped his arms around his uncle's neck, resting his head against the adults shoulder to snuggle while he fully woke up. He could feel that Uncle Barry was excited about something because of how he was shifting and bouncing, but he didn’t seem angry and he was still being kind, so he pushed it to the back burner. He knew that if something concerned him, Uncle Barry would tell him, but until then he was just going to enjoy the morning hugs.

Uncle Barry started to adjust him, getting him into a position where he could stand up without putting him down. His uncle had him balanced on his hip and carried him into the kitchen, putting together a small bowl of cereal with a handful of berries and slivered almonds. When he was brought to the kitchen table, Uncle Barry set the bowl and spoon down on a placemat and sat Wally down in the seat to eat, which he gladly did, while Wally didn’t fully understand it, he knew that he actually wanted to eat now, so he was always grateful when there was food in front of him.

While the child ate his breakfast, Barry put away the cereal and its amenities in their proper places. While he felt like he was bursting at the seams to ask Wally if he wanted to go to the park but he needed to make sure that he had eaten first, Wally had gained some much needed weight but he still had a long way to go, missing a meal wasn’t in his best interests. When he got back to the table, Barry noticed that the cereal was mostly gone and he just couldn’t contain himself anymore, taking a knee beside his chair to talk to him.

“So, Sweetheart, there’s something I wanted to ask you about.” He opened.

Wally froze mid chew, looking at his uncle inquisitively. Forcing himself to remain relaxed about the subject, Barry kept going.

“It’s nothing bad! Don’t worry. I was talking to your Auntie Iris earlier and she’s got the day off from work, she was wondering if we wanted to go sledding with her and your Grandpa.”

Wally’s face lit up with excitement and he started squirming in his chair. He swallowed what was in his mouth with no further chewing, though it must have hurt a bit because he winced as it went down, but that didn’t ruin his mood.

“Yes, yes!” He chanted while bouncing in his seat, “One hundred times yes!”

“Okay, alright. I’ll tell Iris we’re good to go, why don’t you finish your breakfast.” Barry suggested.

Wally nodded eagerly, grinning ear to ear. Barry stood up, ruffling his hair and kissing his head before pulling out his phone and texting an affirmation to Iris that they would be happy to go sledding. While he finished up his text, he saw Wally practically inhale the remainder of his breakfast and shook his head in amusement. After all, it was better that Wally was excited and looking forward to doing something than sullen.

As soon as he had finished his last bite of breakfast, Wally put his dishes in the dishwasher and stuck himself to Barry’s side. He grabbed Barry’s free hand and started trying to tug him towards the front door so they could leave. His uncle smiled and put his phone in his pocket, gently grabbing his nephew’s shoulder and holding him still.

“Easy there, Buckero.” He chided, “We aren’t going anywhere until you go put on some warmer clothes. We’re going to be outside for a few hours and I don’t want you to freeze, so please go change.”

Wally pouted for a second but agreed, getting a thank you hug from his uncle when he nodded. Uncle Barry gave him a playful shove towards the stairs, urging him to go get changed. Wally raced upstairs as quickly as he could without tripping and hurried into his bedroom, he rifled through the drawers to find a warm pair of pants and a thick sweater to wear under his coat. As a precaution, he also switched from the thin cotton socks he had on to thicker, woolen ones, hoping that they would keep his feet warm. He rushed through getting himself dressed, fumbling with the zipper and button on his pants in his haste, excited to see his Aunty again. When he’d finally managed to get himself zipped up and put his arms through the proper holes in his shirt, he threw on a thick sweater and raced downstairs, right into Uncle Barry’s arms. 

The blond man returned his hug while taking in his apparel, making sure it would keep him warm and dry while there were outside, nodding an affirmation to himself when it passed muster. He could feel Wally trembling with excitement, shifting in his arms and bouncing in place, it made hugging him difficult but he endured until the boy pulled away.

“Now can we go?” He asked, his emerald green eyes shining up at Barry with pleading bright in them.

“Yes Sweetheart, we can go now.” Barry said, “let’s just get your gear on.”

He had already gotten what Wally would be wearing out of the closet, it included his coat, snow pants, winter boots, and a matched set of mittens, a hat, and a scarf. Between the pair, it didn’t take Wally all that long to be bundled up, though Barry let his coat unzipped so he wouldn’t get too hot in the car while they drove to the park.

Outside, Barry opened the garage door with his fob, finding the toboggan he and Hal had bought years ago for when Roy came to spend a few days. It was sturdy, made out of cedar wood with metal runners and a string attached to the front to help pull it back up the hill as well as to steer. Because it was made from real wood and metal, it was too heavy for Wally to carry all by himself, but he helped Barry get it settled in the trunk as best he could before clambering into the backseat and buckling in while Barry got into the driver’s seat and started the car.

~~~~

The park was covered in trodden down snow, leftover from people coming to visit during the weekend although it was empty now, safe for Iris and Joe who were waiting for them on a bench. As soon as Wally got out of the car he raced over to them, greeting Iris with a tight hug. Barry followed at a more controlled pace, waving at the other adults on his way over, hearing Iris start fussing over Wally.

“Ohmygoodness! Hello Baby!” She cooed, kissing Wally’s face. “It’s so good to see you, I missed you so much! Oh and you look so cute in your hat!”

Joe looked at Barry and playfully rolled his eyes, standing up off the bench and walking over to greet Barry. He gave the man he raised a brief one armed hug, patting him on the back with affection.

“How are ya Son?” He asked.

“I’m alright Joe, how are you?”

“Can’t complain, can’t complain.” Joe replied idley, watching Iris fawn over his grandson. “How’s Junior doing?”

“He’s good! He’s so good.” Barry said, unable to contain a smile. 

“He hasn’t been giving you and Hal too much trouble, has he? I know eight year olds can be rowdy, I hope he isn’t wearing you down or anything.”

“No, nothing like that.” Barry assured, “He’s an angel, I honestly can’t complain about anything.”

“Oh yeah, he’s an angel now! Just you wait till he’s older, that’ll change!” Joe laughed, “He’s gonna start talking back and mouthing off! Believe you me, he’ll be just like his Daddy was when-”

The older man froze mid-sentence, realizing what he had just said and grimacing like he had just swallowed bile. Barry agreed with the sentiment, thinking about Wally turning out like Rudy made his stomach turn, thinking about his adopted brother at all did that for him, but he knew it must be worse for Joe. Even though it wasn’t his fault, the retired cop blamed himself for the actions of his eldest child, holding himself accountable for Rudy’s deterioration into alcoholism and violence against his only grandchild.

He further blamed himself for ‘allowing it’ to go as far as it had. Rudy had made it clear when Mary was pregnant with Wally that he would be raising his child with corporal punishment, believing that to do otherwise would spoil him. Barry had vehemently disagreed and had sent him studies and papers showing that spanking didn’t do anything to change a child’s behaviour and made them more likely to develop a substance addiction, commit acts of violence against their spouse and children, and struggle with regulating their emotions in a healthy way, but he had been brushed off by both Rudy and Joe. The logic his adopted father had given him was that raising children was trying and that there were times when someone needed pain to firmly cement the lesson in their mind, also adding that since Barry hadn’t raised children, he didn’t know how difficult it could be and that Joe had spanked him as a child and he was fine, so he shouldn’t worry.

Joe was frustrated that he had missed all the signs that Rudy was going too far, chalking up all the signs to happenstance, he had taken Wally’s unquestioning obedience to whatever his parents asked as him being a well mannered child, and the signs of malnourishment as him just being lanky. He held himself responsible for ignoring the signs that something far worse than corporal punishment was being used against his grandson and he had yet to forgive himself for it. He had told Barry at the hospital that he had been so desperate to rekindle the relationship he’d had with his oldest after the huge fight he had gotten into with him when Barry had come out as gay and introduced Hal as his boyfriend, that he had been willing to gloss over the truth, reasoning that the few bruises he had seen must have been the result of him roughhousing with friends and the ratty clothes were just because Rudy was between jobs. He had been so eager to be ignorant the signs that the man he had raised was a monster that he had unwittingly abandoned the child who needed protection. 

Obviously, Barry felt that he had been right to be worried. Though he would never say so to Joe, who hadn’t spared the rod with him or Rudy, all the issues that researchers had found in people who had been spanked as children were also found in Rudy. While Barry was willing to admit that there was a huge difference between the punishments he had received from Joe and the violence Rudy had shown his son, using physical discipline on children was a slippery slope, and he had made it clear as soon as Wally was cleared to stay with them that neither he nor Hal was ever going to use corporal punishment to correct his behaviour. A sentiment that had been spoken aloud in a moment of brief anger towards his adopted father, who Barry had, at the time, been angry at for encouraging Rudy to use physical pain as a means of correction in the first place.

He had since had time to reign himself in, admitting through gritted teeth that while he did not agree with spankings, they were not illegal and were still recognized by law as a tool of behaviour correction. Joe had agreed with open handed swats on the rear end and being sent to bed without supper, not a beating with a belt that left open sores that were prone to infection if not treated and being locked in a bedroom without food for a weekend. Regardless, he knew Joe still blamed himself for everything.

“I know Hal’s worried about him mouthing off to teachers when he’s older.” Barry said, driving the topic away from Wally’s father. “Our friend Oliver’s son, Roy, has that problem, where he’ll talk back if he thinks they’re in the wrong.”

“Yeah, gotta watch out for that.” Joe muttered absently.

The old man was staring at Wally wistfully, watching him laugh with his aunt while they caught up. It didn’t slip Barry’s notice that Wally hadn’t even said hello to his grandfather yet, far happier to see his aunt than his grandpa. The little boy didn’t have the same relationship with his grandpa as he did with his aunt, which had always been the case but Joe still felt sad about and blamed himself for.

Barry had never been invited to the dinners Rudy had been invited to, for obvious reasons, and as such hadn’t seen how Rudy and Joe interacted with each other, but Iris had kept him filled in. The two men had often spent their time with whatever game was being played on the television and ignoring Iris, Mary, and, by default, Wally, who would avoid going into the same room as his father and grandfather unless he absolutely had to. Iris had told him that Wally often spent the afternoons and evenings in his room or in the yard, only being sociable when beckoned or when they were eating, and given that there were no other children to play with, Iris had volunteered to entertain him, giving him free reign of the games they played or what books she would read to him, something that made Wally excited to see her every time she came over. According to her, her father hadn’t spent much quality time with Wally, often getting distracted talking to Rudy about sports or some other thing, so while Wally liked his grandpa, he _loved_ his auntie.

Before Barry could formulate a response to Joe, to offer him any comforts or forgiveness, Wally raced over, his cheeks already slightly red from the cold.

“Uncle Barry!” He cried, pawing at him with his mittens to get his attention.

Barry crouched down, taking Wally’s hands to still them. He was bouncing in place again, smiling at Barry while the older man waited for him to speak.

“Auntie Iris told me to ask you to borrow your keys! Can I please borrow your keys?”

“Wally!” Iris shouted, laughing at her nephew, “You weren’t supposed to tell him that I told you to ask him!”

Wally looked briefly between his auntie and his uncle, making sure neither was mad at him, visibly relaxing when he saw both smiling. Barry chuckled to himself and tugged Wally closer for a hug and a kiss.

“Did your Auntie tell you why she needs to borrow my keys?” He asked.

“Yeah, she wants to grab the sled out of your car.” Wally replied, starting to wriggle again.

Barry rolled his eyes, awkwardly grabbing his keys out of his pockets without letting go of Wally. He tossed them to Iris when she got closer, though because he hadn’t let go of Wally his throw was poor and she missed it.

“This is why you never made the baseball team!” She joked, retrieving them from the snow.

“Shut up!” He laughed.

Wally giggled with him, laughing even harder when his uncle tugged his hat down over his eyes affectionately. Barry gave him another kiss on the forehead and tweaked his nose, gently directing his attention to his grandpa.

“Have you said hello to your Grandpa yet Wally?” He asked.

Wally shook his head and turned his attention to his grandfather, waving at him and smiling.

“Hi Grampa!” 

“Hey Skipper.” Joe replied.

Iris chose that moment to come back, pulling the sled by it’s string. Instantly, Wally lost interest in his uncle and grandfather, eager to play.

“Ready to hit the slopes guys?” She asked.

“Yes, yes!” 

The little red head jumped up and down in place, grabbing Barry’s hand and tugging him along while the party made their way to the hill. It was perfect for sledding, with no trees or rocks on the way down and a valley at the bottom so they could lose momentum at their own pace without worrying about going into a river or anything.The hill itself wasn’t too steep so you couldn’t lose control but it was steep enough that you could get some decent speed going down, the snow on it was worn down already from other kids coming to sled over the weekend.

He pulled out his phone and started filming when Iris set the sled down and climbed on, settling Wally between her legs. His sister started moving them forward with her hands, slowly easing off as the slope of the hill started pulling them forward without assistance. Barry smiled and tried to hold the camera steady so he could get a good video to send to Hal and to save for himself.

When the toboggan lost its motion, Wally clambered off with his Auntie and started trying to pull the sled back up the hill. It was clear he was struggling with the weight, having to pause frequently to catch his breath so Barry stopped the recording and hurried down to offer his assistance.

“Do you need help?” He asked.

Wally shook his head, starting to walk up the hill again to prove he could, though he was breathing rather hard, so Barry stuck with him as he walked up. Not even ten paces later, Wally’s foot caught a patch of ice and he slipped and fell flat on his tummy, though he didn’t let go of the sled and it started to pull him down the hill. Barry scrambled to catch him, grabbing his hand to halt his descent and help him back up to his feet, he gave the child a quick once over to make sure he didn’t have any visible injuries.

“Are you okay?” He checked, putting a sturdy hand on Wally’s back incase he slipped again.

“Yeah.” Wally breathed.

“Alright, good.”

Barry grabbed the string, his hand beside Wally’s to help him drag the sled back up. Wally didn’t wave him off this time, the two just worked together to bring it back up the hill and positioned to go down again. Iris was waiting for them at the top of the hill, though she didn’t get on the sled, all the adults waiting for Wally to get his breath back.

“Sorry, I should have helped him pull the sled up.” Iris whispered in Barry’s ear, “He told me he wanted to do it himself.”

“It’s all good.” Barry whispered back.

When Wally was ready to go, he started tugging on Barry’s hand, giving him a pleading look.

“Uncle Barry, Uncle Barry! Will you come down with me this time?” He implored.

“Sure Sweetheart.” Barry agreed.

The process was similar to the first time, Barry getting on first and then having Wally sit between his legs. When Wally was rested against his chest, Barry gathered up the string so it wouldn’t get caught in the runners on the way down. He started moving the tobogan downward, feeling the wind in his face and hair as they picked up speed. He heard Wally start to giggle and shriek, the wind blowing his scarf around behind them.

Both of them were still laughing as the sled came to a halt, both of them sitting on it for a moment just to collect themselves before they had to start the climb back up the hill. Barry recovered first, superspeed and all that came with it had its perks, but he stayed on anyway and held Wally as he caught his breath.

When Wally had his breath back, he and Barry pulled the sled back up. Barry checked his phone when they got back up, knowing that the little boy shouldn’t be outside in the cold for too long, even with his winter gear. Wally had been doing so well recently, getting stronger each day, but Barry still worried that a cold could knock him back or that if he got a simple cold, it could quickly progress into something worse. However, Barry also recognized that Wally was eight years old, and children need to be allowed to play and have fun, so he was setting aside his fear for the time being, though he wasn’t going to throw caution to the wind entirely. He and Iris had already talked about going to a nearby cafe for lunch to give Wally a chance to warm up and get something in his belly as well as let Barry assess whether they could keep playing or if it was time to go home.

~~~~

Everything was fine and Wally was happy and enjoyed himself while he played in the snow with his Aunt, Grandpa and Uncle. As far as Barry could see, he was having the time off his life on the hill, sometimes going down by himself, though he mostly went down with an adult who could help him get the sled back up the hill. Barry made sure to take lots of pictures and videos on his phone so he could show Hal later when he came home. 

Pulling out his phone to take another picture, Barry saw that it was nearing one thirty in the afternoon, meaning that they had been outside for hours and all Wally had eaten was a bowl of cereal. Deciding it was probably time for lunch, Barry quietly pointed out the time to Iris and Joe, who nodded in understanding but let Barry reign his nephew in.

“Wally!” Barry called, getting his attention just as he climbed back up the hill.

Wally dropped the string of the sled, hurrying over to his uncle when he heard his name. His cheeks and the tip of his nose were bright red and he had snow on his hat and mitts, but he was smiling and happy so Barry knew he wasn’t bothered or upset.

“It’s getting a bit late, so your Auntie Iris, Grandpa Joe, and I were thinking it would be a good time to go get some lunch.” Barry told him. “We’re just going to walk to a little cafe not too far from here, so how about you and I put the sled in the trunk and then we can go grab some food.”

Wally looked crestfallen, looking at the hill over his shoulder with a small pout. However, he nodded and retrieved the sled, pulling it behind him as he walked with his uncle over to the car with the older man’s hand on his shoulder. Barry could sympathise with his child, he remembered how frustrating it was to have to stop playing and having fun just because the grownups said you had to, but he was Wally’s guardian and that meant he was responsible for making sure he was fed and well cared for, so he was going to have to bring an end to the fun.

That being said, he was capable of recognizing that good behaviour deserved to be rewarded, so when he had closed the lid of the trunk on the sled he knelt and gave Wally a hug and a kiss on the forehead. The embrace was returned by the redhead in earnest and Barry suppressed a wince as some of the snow from Wally’s hat wound up down his shirt against his skin. When the pair broke apart, Barry led them back to Joe and Iris and they all started the walk to the cafe.

When they arrived, Barry helped Wally take off his hat, mitts, scarf, and coat, hanging them on the back of his chair so that he wouldn’t overheat while they were indoors. Joe put his coat over the back of his chair and headed to the front counter, returning a few minutes later with four mugs of hot chocolate to distribute, all of them were piled high with whipped cream and drizzled with chocolate syrup, which was part of why Barry liked this cafe so much.

Taking a menu from the center of the table, Barry started looking it over with Wally so they could decide what they were going to get to eat. Given that it was a cafe and not a restaurant, the menu wasn’t extensive and was mostly just sandwiches and soups, but there were dishes that a child would like, such as the grilled cheese.

Barry brought Wally up to the counter with him to order, not that he really had a choice because the kid was clinging to his arm. He obviously wasn’t upset, he wasn’t crying or sullen, but he had been playing outside for hours and had walked all the way to the cafe, so Barry suspected he was getting tired. As soon as the barista saw them, she started fawning over Wally, practically cooing when she saw him.

“Hello Sweetie, what can I get you and your Daddy today?” She asked.

Wally chose that moment to get shy, ducking his face behind Barry’s arm to hide, which only made the barista smile more. Barry used his free hand to squeeze Wally’s shoulder, knowing full well that him being bashful was just making him look even more adorable than he already was.

“Could we please get a grilled cheese sandwich and a chicken club wrap?” Barry asked her.

The barista tore her gaze away from Wally long enough to place the order and send it to the kitchen, during which Wally shifted from clinging to Barry’s arm and hiding behind him to wrapping his arms around his uncle’s waist with his face tucked into his side. Barry had just smiled at him indulgently and kept his hand on his back to keep him close, guiding him over to the pick up counter to wait for their meal. Given that it was only one forty-five on a Monday, the cafe wasn’t all that busy with only one other table occupied, which was probably why the barista had the time to come back over to them and strike up a conversation.

“He is absolutely adorable, how old is he?” She asked Barry, figuring she might not get anything from the little boy.

“He’s eight.” Barry responded with a smile, rubbing Wally’s back.

Barry could see that she was shocked and he didn’t blame her, Wally was considerably smaller than most kids his age and as such, he didn’t really look eight. Of course, he wasn’t about to get into the full reason why he was so petit with a stranger and without Wally’s permission, so he picked an excuse and ran with it.

“I know, he’s a bit small. He had some health problems, but he’s all better now and just catching up.”

The lady’s hand fluttered over her heart, looking down at Wally with an adoring expression.

“Oh, good for him! You and your wife must be so proud.” She cooed, smiling wider when she saw Wally’s hair. “He must have gotten his hair from his mother.”

Deciding he didn’t want to come out to a random stranger, Barry made a noncommittal noise of affirmation, and tugged Wally closer. It technically wasn’t a lie, Wally’s mother, Mary, did have auburn hair, though Wally’s hair resembled Rudy’s more than it did Mary’s. 

From the kitchen, Barry heard a bell ding and the barista held up a finger, asking him to please wait a moment so she could answer it. As soon as she was through the door, Barry bent to give Wally a quick kiss on the top of his head, ruffling his hair as he stood back up, just in time to see the barista reemerging with two plates of food. Taking the plates when they were handed to him, Barry noticed that there was a small brown paper bag on the plate with the grilled cheese, something he didn’t order.

“Excuse me, sorry to bother you, but what’s in the bag?” He asked.

“Oh, just something for the kid.” She replied in a sweet tone, “Don’t worry, it’s on the house.”

“Thank you.” Barry said, feeling a little guilty about taking food he hadn’t paid for.

“No worries.” The barista waved off.

Barry knew he was blushing, but there wasn’t really anything he could do about it, so he just thanked her again and took his food to the table. Wally crawled into his seat and snatched a french fry off his plate as soon as it was set down, clearly hungry after his morning of outdoor play. Barry let him eat in peace, but he took the paper bag from him to see what Wally had been gifted, inside the package was a handful of gingerbread and sugar cookies, decorated with colourful frosting and some candies.

Deciding that Wally could have one after he was done with his lunch, Barry put them to the side and dug into his own meal. Iris and Joe left to get their own food, coming back moments later with plates of their own. The group ate in relative silence, with occasional conversation being made and comments on the food. The only one who didn’t contribute to the conversation at all was Wally, who was completely immersed in his lunch.

The sandwich Wally was eating was big and he had a generous portion of french fries to go with it, so Barry wasn’t surprised that he couldn’t finish it all. When he had eaten all he could eat, Wally shifted his chair so he was right beside his uncle and then rested his head against Barry’s arm. It made it hard for Barry to move that arm but he didn’t want to make Wally move, so he switched to just eating with one hand.

Joe took in the scene between his grandson and the man he’s raised, watching how Barry bent to Wally’s needs and adapted to keep him comfortable. He had been unspeakably grateful that Barry and his long-time boyfriend, now husband, had been open to taking in Wally when he had had nowhere but fostercare to go, but he hadn’t been expecting them to get so attached to him. He wasn’t opposed to the relationship, Wally needed some parents who would actually love him and guide him into adulthood, and both Barry and Hal were sympathetic to someone who had a rocky relationship with their parental figures, but Joe hadn’t expected them all to bond so quickly.

Iris reached across the table to snag the paper bag that had come with Wally’s plate, opening it up to see what was inside, grinning when she saw the cookies.

“Spoiling the kid already Bear?” She teased, handing the cookies back to him.

“Hey, they were a gift from the barista, I didn’t buy them!” Barry defended, “She’s spoiling him, not me. She found him cute.”

“Wonder if we can get diamonds that way.” Joe mused, “Just take him to a jewelry store and see if the counter-girls find him cute.”

Iris laughed, putting her hand over her mouth so muffle the noise she was making. Barry just smiled and shook his head, tucking Wally under his arm and kissing him on the head. He also thought it was funny that his nephew was sweet enough to get cookies for free from a barista, but he was also biased and agreed with her that Wally was adorable.

“Want one of your cookies, Squirt?” Barry whispered to the little boy.

Wally looked up at him, biting his bottom lip. “Can I have one later please?”

“Of course Sweetheart.” He promised, kissing his forehead. “They’re your cookies.”

Wally wiggled and smiled, resting his head back against his uncle’s side. Barry returned the hug and started packing up the plates so they could be cleared and they could head home. Hal would be home in a few hours and Barry wanted to be there to greet him, besides, Wally was clearly tired from the sledding and would be wanting to head home soon, so he brought their plates to the return bin and started getting Wally’s outdoor apparel back on for the walk back to the car.

~~~~

Hal stepped into his house to the smell of soup cooking but to a concerning silence. There was no music playing and no talking that he could hear, which was uncommon in the household. Just as he had finished taking his boots and coat off, Wally hurried from the kitchen and caught him in a hug.

“Hey Kiddo.” Hal greeted.

“Hey Uncle Hal.” Wally responded, his voice muffled by Hal’s shirt.

When Hal looked up, he saw Barry leaning against the wall between the kitchen and the front foyer, watching him and Wally with affection. Lifting one hand off Wally’s back, Hal extended it towards Barry in an invitation to come closer for a hug. The blond smiled at him and placed his hand in Hal’s, he allowed himself to be pulled close and followed the momentum even when his husband released his hand and moved it to the small of his back, moving closer until they were pressed together and Hal could kiss his forehead.

“Hello Gorgeous.” Hal whispered in Barry’s ear.

“Hey you.” Barry whispered back, “How was work?”

“It was alright, probably not as fun as your day but not awful.”

Barry had sent Hal some of the videos and pictures he had taken of Wally while they were at the park and it had warmed his heart to see Wally so happy and having so much fun. Iris had also sent him some videos she had taken of Barry and Wally going down the hill together and Hal could have watched that forever. He was already planning to propose a family day to the park on the weekend with all three of them for some sledding.

“Good. I’m glad you had a nice day.” Barry murmured.

WIth both of his boys so close, Hal could see their body language up close with no room for any misreadings. Wally and Barry were both moving slowly, leaning against him like supporting their own limbs was a monumental task in itself and he could see that Barry’s gaze was soft. Both of them were tired and he could see that it was probably going to be a very relaxed night.

“You two are so cute when you're tired.” he laughed, holding them closer.

“M’not tired.” Wally protested with his face still pressed into Hal’s shirt.

Hal looked at the boy incredulously, harnessing every scrap of self restraint he had to not burst out laughing, which was severely challenged when Barry piped up.

“I’m alright.”

Hal let out a huff of laughter, rolling his eyes at the obvious lie both of them had just spoken with straight faces. If it wasn’t so damn cute, he would have called them out on it. As it stood, he was standing in rapidly melting snow, so he stooped to scoop Wally up and balance him on his hip when he stood up. Wrapping his other arm around Barry’s waist Hal started ushering them towards the kitchen where he could smell supper cooking, releasing his speedster so he could add whatever finishing touches he wanted to the meal while he started setting the table.

All through dinner, both Barry and Wally were silent and sleepy. Silence from the redhead wasn’t all that uncommon but it was unheard of for Barry to not hold a conversation unless he was seriously pissed or, in this case, very tired. He was worried that Wally was going to pass out directly into his bowl of soup, but by some miracle he didn’t. 

It took Barry a worryingly long time to finish his meal, but eventually he did and got up to take his bowl and spoon to the dishwasher along with Wally’s. While he was gone, Hal reached across the table to ruffle Wally’s hair, loving the sleepy look adorning the child’s face.

“Are you tired Kiddo?” He asked.

Wally shook his head, though his eyes were half closed. Deciding that if he couldn’t beat him, he might as well join him, Hal worked out a compromise.

“Alright, if you say so.” Hal conceded, “But can you please go put your pajamas on and brush your teeth? Then we can all have a pj party down here.”

By an act of god, Wally perked up and looked excited, squirming off of his chair and running upstairs as fast as he could. Hal smiled affectionately after him, grabbing his own plate and heading into the kitchen to put his dishes in the dishwasher, closing the door when he was done. Leaning against the counter, he took a moment to admire how sweet Barry looked while he was sleepy, amplified by the fact that he was drowning in his sweater. Hal moved behind him and caught him in an embrace, kissing the side of his neck.

“You know, I don’t remember giving you that sweater.” He mumbled into his neck.

“I borrowed it.” Barry said, leaning back into Hal’s chest. “It’s really warm.”

Hal laughed and kissed the back of his neck, burying his face in Barry’s soft blond hair. The smell of ice and cedar trees from the park mixed in with his shampoo, and his hair was a bit tangled from the wind and his hat. Knowing that Wally would be coming back down soon, Hal started moving them over to the sofa so they could cuddle before the kid fell asleep.

As soon as they were on the couch, Barry wormed his way under his arm and laid his head against his shoulder. Not a moment later, Wally came downstairs and scrambled into Hal’s lap. Both of them got comfortable and settled in, relaxing and going still against him.

‘ _Oh yeah, you two aren’t tired at all_ ’ Hal thought.

Rolling his eyes, Hal decided that he may as well get them comfortable. He started by standing up, an action that made Barry whine and grab for him. Hal shushed him and pushed him until he was laying down with his pack pressed flush against the back of the couch, then laid down beside him and slid his arm under him to pull him close. He had Wally laying completely on his chest with his head on his shoulder, he had to keep a firm arom around the little boy so he wouldn’t fall off the couch if he shifted.

Barry caught on to how they were going to it together fairly quick, curling his legs so Hal could prop one leg up over them. The speedster shifted and squirmed until he was perfectly resting his head on Hal’s collarbone with his left hand centered on his chest. Wally didn’t need to do much shifting to fit in the pile, being that he was on top of Hal in a very similar way to how they had slept together at the hospital.

The trio didn’t talk, Barry and Wally because they were falling asleep, and Hal because he wanted them to go to sleep. Wally succumbed to his exhaustion first, resting against his uncle with a pair of cozy pajamas on. Hal waited a few minutes to make sure that his nephew was well and truly out, then used his ring to grab the throw blanket from the back of the couch and drape it over the three of them.

Barry fought harder to stay awake, drumming his fingers against Hal’s chest to the rhythm of his heartbeat. Knowing he was teetering on the edge, Hal moved his hand and started running his fingers through his hair. Barry’s reaction to having his hair played with was very similar to Wally’s, shivering and then going lax against the brunet, closing his eyes and falling asleep not even ten minutes later. 

Using his ring again, Hal fished his phone out of his pocket and took a selfie with his sleeping boy’s. It was partially because he thought they were sweet and he wanted to have something to remember the moment by, and partially as revenge for the picture Barry had taken of him at the hospital. Opening his texts, he sent the picture to Oliver.

_Barry and Wally had a fun day sledding, but apparently, they aren’t tired_

He got a text back fifteen minutes later.

_Yeah Brother, live your best life!_

Laughing to himself, Hal tucked them closer to him and gave them each a handful of kisses. Soon, he would have to wake Barry so they could take Wally to bed, but for right now, they were just going to enjoy the snuggling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In regards to my last note, regarding my mental health, I wanted to thank you all for your well wishes and words of support. You were all a huge help to me while I was at my lowest and I frequently reread your kind words. I love all of you so much and I really hope you enjoyed this chapter, it was really fun to write.


	37. Secret's Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry and Hal finally get to understand a habit of their nephews.

Friday night and Barry was an anxious wreck, bubbling over with pent up energy and nerves. Tonight was going to be the night, he and Hal were going to go to bed and wait for Wally, he would come crawl in with them, they would pull him let him know that they were awake and that he was welcome in their bed, and the child would spend the night snuggling with the two of them. That was provided everything went according to plan, which was a major part of why Barry was so tense, there were so many ‘what ifs’ that he kept running through and it was driving him nuts.

Out of a need to find something to occupy himself with, he had started fixing little things in the room. He had stripped the sheets and pillowcases off the bed, remade it with a warm set of winter blankets complete with a heavy comforter and two warm blankets folded at the foot of the bed, in case they were needed. In addition to the extra blankets, he had grabbed some soft throw pillows from the linen closet to keep in the closet so he or Hal could grab one if Wally needed his own pillow.

Barry didn’t think that he would be so stressed out about the whole thing if he weren’t the only one who seemed to be so invested in it. He had been looking forward to this all week and it felt like every interaction he’d had with Wally had been an interview for this, while Hal, as always, was just rolling with the punches. While he was fixing and perfecting the pillows and blankets, Hal was in the bathroom shaving like it was just another tuesday.

Being so focused on the arbitrary task at hand, Barry didn’t hear Hal come up behind him, he only noticed how close the other man was when he felt two arms wrap around his middle. The skin on Hal’s face was still soft from the shave and when he pressed a kiss to his sensitive neck, Barry felt the blush rise on his cheeks. The grip around him tightened, though Hal shifted to rest his chin on his shoulder so he could survey the bed.

“Looks good StrawBarry.” He offered.

“Thanks.” Barry breathed, relaxing against him. “I put on the really soft sheets that we got in Toronto, and the warmest comforter we’ve got, and I threw on some fluffy blankets, just in case we need them.”

“Hmm.” Hal hummed, looking over the bed. “Do you think he might get too hot? You run like a furnace as is, and all those blankets are pretty warm.”

Barry froze, hands still covering Hal’s on his stomach. He had been so caught up in making sure Wally would be warm enough to sleep comfortably that he hadn’t considered he had maybe created a sleeping space that would be too hot to sleep in until his partner had pointed it out. Immediately he felt silly and tried to move to correct it, feeling his path blocked by Hal’s arms.

“God, I’m an idiot! How did I not think of that!” He said in a rush, straining against Hal’s arms.

“Ah ah ah! No, you have done enough for tonight!” Hal tutted, keeping his wriggling husband flush against him. “The bed is fine, everything is fine Baby, let it be.”

“Noo!” Barry whined, “It’s not! He’s going to get too hot and just be miserable and it’s not going to make him want to come sleep with us.” 

“If he gets too hot then we can turn down the climate control and toss off one of the comforters, you do not need to rearrange the entire bed.” He reasoned, “It’s fine, everything will be fine.”

Even when the other man stilled, Hal didn’t loosen his grip on him. He had been with Barry long enough to know that his main strategy in escaping any constraint was to play possum and wait for the other to let go, so he kept him in his grip even when the blond started going dead weight. 

“But what if he doesn’t tell us? What if he hates it and doesn’t want to cuddle with us anymore? What if-”

He broke off as Hal spun him around and interrupted him, grabbing his face kindly.

“What if we finally get to talk about what’s bothering him at night? What if he loves staying with us at night? What if he learns that he can come to us for help when he’s upset and needs comfort?” Hal countered, “What if everything goes fine and we get to have a very special moment with our little boy where everyone gets to fall asleep feeling safe and loved?”

Barry blushed and smiled, taking some of his own weight and leaning forward against Hal to cuddle. In his head, he knew he was right, in all likelihood everything would be fine and he was overreacting and working himself up for no reason. Doing his best to relax, Barry let Hal trace his cheeks and eyelids with his thumbs, feeling a digit ghost over his lips before pulling away, quickly followed by a kiss that made him see stars.

It was Hal who broke the kiss, pulling back until only the tips of their noses were touching and taking Barry’s hand in his. He pulled gently, seeing Barry’s eyes open as he was forced to take steps to keep contact with him, following him to the bathroom with quiet steps. Inside, Hal carefully shut the door and used his ring to turn on the bathtub faucet, steamy water rushing from the tap and filling up the tub.

“Take your clothes off.” Hal ordered, releasing his hand to take off his own shirt.

“Bossy.” Barry grumbled.

Though he mumbled about it, Barry did start to undress, starting with his sweater vest and working down, tossing his discarded clothing into the hamper in the corner. The tub filled up while they undressed, Hal turning off the stream when he deemed it at an appropriate level and climbed in, swiftly followed by Barry.

As soon as Hal was resting against the back of the tub, Barry got in and laid back against his chest, feeling the hot water start to remove the tension in his shoulders and back. Relaxing further, Barry squirmed back so there was no space between them and twisted his neck so his nose was touching Hal’s neck and shivered when the brunette laced his fingers over his stomach and started rubbing his thumb in a circle against his skin.

“Comfy?” Hal whispered into his ear.

“Yeah.”

“Good.”

Barry hummed in happiness when Hal gave him a kiss and squeezed him tight, the two of them cuddling in the warm water.

“Not that I’m complaining, but what’s your angle here?” Barry asked.

“I can’t just relax with the love of my life?” Hal murmured into the back of his neck. “Is that a crime now?”

“Again; not complaining, I just want to know what sparked it?”

Hal sighed and shifted, sitting up higher while dragging him up with him.

“You’re worked up and I want you to relax and wind down, or you won’t be able to sleep tonight and Wally won’t come.” Hal explained.

Oh, so Hal _had_ been planning something tonight, he had just been too wound up to notice. While Barry had been focused on making the bed comfortable and safe, Hal had been working towards making the scene approachable and inviting, which meant that both of them needed to be sleeping. Wally had proven to be perceptive of their emotions and would notice if something was wrong, and given that Barry had a difficult time staying still while he was awake, he would give them away.

Barry smiled to himself and shifted back, pressing himself so close to Hal that his heartbeat felt tactile against his skin. The two stayed in the bath until the water lost it’s warmth and went cold. Barry got out first, drying himself off while Hal watched him from the bath, and he’d be lying if he said that he didn’t put on a bit of a show for him.

Given that the door to the bedroom was firmly closed, Barry felt comfortable leaving the bathroom still naked. He put a little swing to his hips as he walked away, showing off his rear to his entranced audience while he left the room, smiling over his shoulder at him before grabbing a soft pair of pajamas to slip into while Hal dried himself off. As soon as he was dressed he crawled into the bed, immediately enveloped in soft covers that made him feel like he was in heaven.

He stayed nestled under the covers with the blankets pulled up to his cheeks, staying still while he listened to Hal enter the room and get dressed. He still didn’t move when the bed dipped on the other side of the mattress, laying completely motionless until Hal grabbed him and dragged him as close as he could.

“That, my beautiful StrawBarry, was a dirty bit of teasing.” He growled into Barry’s ear, snaking a hand down his side to cup his ass.

“Yep.” Barry purred, trying to hold back laughter. “Now get your hand off my butt and cuddle with me.”

Hal mumbled something that Barry didn’t catch, but the hand on his rear gave one final squeeze and released, moving up to his back to hold him close. Hal’s chin was resting on the top of his head, and his breath was moving his hair while they settled down and got ready to sleep.

“Stop wiggling.” Hal mumbled, “He’s not gonna come hang out with us if you’re squirming like a worm on a hook.”

Barry laughed against his neck, moist heat from his breath against his skin. As difficult as it was for him, Barry forced himself to relax and be still and try to fall asleep. It helped that Hal was with him to lay with him, he could just nestle as close as he could and listen to his pulse until he was tired enough to fall asleep.

The hand on his back moved and started creeping up, hovering for a moment at the spot between his shoulder blades for a moment. After rubbing a few circles on that spot, the hand continued to move upward until he felt fingers start toying in his hair and shivered. Hal was cheating. Still, he knew him well, and Barry knew Hal was very aware of just how tranquilizing it was for him when he had his hair played with and within moments, he was drifting off.

“Cheater.” Barry mumbled.

“Just go to sleep Babe.”

Barry moaned, shifting and moving until he could look Hal in the eye. The brunette’s hand was still curled against his scalp.

“Promise me that you’ll wake me up when Wally gets here.” He said, looking Hal in the face.

There was pressure on the back of his head, forcing him to tilt his head closer to his husband. Hal’s fingers started moving in his hair again and he felt a kiss be pressed against his head.

“I promise.” He whispered into his scalp, “Now go to sleep.”

Barry huffed and shifted. He closed his eyes and started to slow his breathing down to settle into sleep.

~~~~

Wally woke up in a cold sweat in his own bed. He was shaking from the fear from the nightmare, the same one as before and the same one he had been having since he had gotten to his uncles’ house. He was fortunate though, tonight was a good night, he was trembling but not clumsy. He could still move around without making too much noise and he could keep himself quiet enough to sneak into the bed of two adults without waking them. So he counted it as a good night, if only because he could indulge himself in his favourite comfort; a quick nap cuddled between his two favourite people.

Taking a deep breath, Wally crept from his bed and out of his room. He tiptoed down the hallway until he was just outside the master bedroom and looking inside. He was early, it was only ten forty-eight at night and he tried to make sure he never crawled in with them before eleven o’clock. 

While he had come to trust and even love his uncles, he still had difficulty convincing himself that they cared for him as much as he cared for them. He always tried his best to be easy to deal with, he didn’t ask for anything, he tried not to cry or complain, and he made sure to use his manners when they shared with him or held him. He had figured he had blown his one shot by his behaviour at the hospital, but his caretakers had been kind enough to look past it and give him another chance, even letting him be a part of their cuddling after dinner. Still, he had a feeling that creeping around in their bedroom at night would be a deal breaker. So he always waited until he was sure they were asleep before he crawled into their bed.

The minutes ticked by at an agonizing pace, from his spot at the door, Wally could see the clock on Uncle Barry’s bedside table. It didn’t show the seconds as they passed, only the hour and the minutes so he just had to wait until they changed. Though the two minutes kept him from what he wanted, it gave him more time to get himself under control so he wouldn’t wake anyone up. But finally, _finally_ , the clock displayed eleven o’clock.

The house his uncles’ owned was newer and better kept than the one his parents had lived in and the door didn’t even squeak when he pushed it open, nor did the floorboards creak when he walked across them. The bed the adults were on was raised and the top of the mattress came up to his mid chest, so it was a feat in itself to get up quietly and without alerting them. He had figured out that by bracing himself on the wooden foot of the bed and jumping a little, he could get himself up, and after nearly two months of sporadic visitations he was very good at it.

Once up on the bed, Wally carefully picked his way over the covered bed, lightly placing his hand down to make sure he wasn’t on top of anyone’s leg before stepping down. In no time at all, he was right where he wanted to be, in between them and he could lay down comfortably. He curled himself up with his forehead resting against his Uncle Barry’s chest, able to feel him breathing through the blankets.

His uncles had changed their bedspread, the cover he was laying on was soft and it cradled him like he was laying in a nest. Laying still, Wally tucked one hand between his chest and Uncle Barry’s, feeling the other man breathe. He settled in, closing his eyes and letting out a breath full of all the fear he had from the bad dream and drawing in a fresh breath that felt safe and warm. 

He let it out in a yelp when a strong arm wrapped around his waist.

He was dragged across the bed until his back was pressed against someone's chest. The backs of his eyes burned with tears he was trying not to shed, knowing that it wouldn’t do any good. A reaction he couldn’t control made him struggle briefly, to flee, only to be held steady and still, pushing him down until he was nearly flattened against the mattress.

The arm held him still while the body it was attached to shifted and sat up. Then, its pressure lessened, joined by another hand that slipped under his arm and pulled him into a lap. His Uncle Hal gave him a squeeze and a quick kiss.

“Shhshh Sweetheart, it’s okay.” He whispered in his ear, rubbing his back.

Fear finally getting the better of him, Wally felt a few tears slide down his cheeks. He was caught, his secret was out and now he was in for it. He no longer thought that his guardians would beat him bloody like his father had, but he couldn’t rule out the possibility of a spanking and some yelling.

His uncle pulled back and adjusted him so that he was facing him, cooing and dragging his thumb across his face to catch the tears when he saw he was crying. 

“Oh no, it’s okay Baby, you’re alright.” He reassured, “Don’t cry Kid, I’ve got you.”

Despite the words of comfort he was being given, Wally broke down hard. He stuffed his fist into his mouth to keep himself quiet, it didn’t completely stop the miserable noise he made but it muffled it considerably. His uncle gave him another kiss and let him cry, lightly shaking the sleeping blond beside them until he stirred and started to wake up.

' _No_ , _please no. Don’t wake him up, don’t make this worse'._ ' He thought, watching Uncle Barry wake up and rub at his eyes.

His uncles had a hushed conversation above his head that he didn’t pay attention to, too busy wallowing in his own pity to care about what they were saying. He only tuned back in when there was a hand on his cheek that coaxed him to turn. In the dark, he couldn’t see Uncle Barry but he could hear him and feel the soft strokes that he was being given.

“Oh my poor baby, not having a great night, are you?” He whispered, turning to address his partner. “Hal, you promised you were going to be gentle.”

_Promised? They had planned this?'_

“I was! I think I just shocked him a little.” Hal defended himself.

Then he was being pulled impossibly closer, getting tucked into the crook of Uncle Hal’s neck and feeling hands touching his shoulder, rubbing his back, and cupping the back of his head. Despite the comfort, he started to cry harder, more angry at himself than anyone else. He had known since the beginning that it was risky to go into their bedroom, even more so to get into bed with them. He should have just cut his losses that very first night when Uncle Hal had followed him back to his room, not gotten selfish and kept going back.

Still, he was in this mess and he wasn’t going to get out of it until any corrections had been dealt. If he was lucky, they wouldn’t be too harsh and he could just sleep off the punishment, but he had never been lucky before. He might as well try to apologize, it couldn’t hurt any.

“I’m sorry.” He whimpered.

“No no, don’t be sorry.” 

“You haven’t done anything wrong.” Barry promised. “Sweetheart, look at me.”

Wiping his eyes, Wally timidly turned his head towards his uncle. He got a kiss on the forehead for his obedience, brushing his hair back from his face.

“Good, thank you Baby, I know you’re a little freaked out. Sweetheart, I told you that if you needed anything, you could come get us.” He reminded, “I swear we aren’t angry, not even a little bit. We just want to talk to you about it, we want to know what’s wrong.”

“You knew?” Wally whispered.

“We did. I noticed you watching us from the door and then working your way up to crawling in with us and I told Barry.” Hal answered, “We were going to talk to you about it earlier but you were admitted to the hospital before we got the chance.”

Weeks. They had known about him crawling in with them for weeks. Not only that, but Uncle Hal had been awake and just letting him do it all that time. They had made a plan to grab him and talk to him, and now they were going to put it into action.

“You aren’t in any trouble Kiddo, we aren’t mad.” Barry whispered, “In fact, we like it. We just want to know why you do it.”

Taking a deep breath, Wally decided on the truth. At this point, it couldn’t hurt.

“I have bad dreams.” He confessed with closed eyes, “I have bad dreams and I just got scared.”

“You’re having nightmares?” Hal asked.

“What about?” Barry tacked on.

“Dad.” He choked, “He comes here and takes me back. And you let him, cau-cause you don’t w-wa-want me anymore.”

He started bawling halfway through the sentence, clawing at his face as he wiped away the tears. His uncles cradled him close and held him, pressed right between them while they kissed him and comforted him. Grabbing his hand when he got too rough with himself.

“Oh Baby, my precious baby boy, we would never let that happen?” Barry promised.

By now, the three of them were so close that Wally could hear both of their heartbeats and wondered if they could hear his. Probably not, just because of how loud his crying was, but were it not for that they probably would. Uncle Hal was holding the back of his head and had started to toy with his hair, helping him to calm down and slow his crying from full on sobs to hiccups.

“Wally.” Barry whispered when he saw that his nephew was more composed.

Wally looked up, opening his eyes to see his uncle’s concerned face. The adult caught his face between his hands and started catching his tears with his thumbs.

“I’m so sorry that you’re having bad dreams, that must be really scary and you should never have to deal with them by yourself.” He whispered.

He nodded along to his uncle, not entirely sure why. Whether it was as a thanks or just general acknowledgement, he didn’t know, but his Uncle Barry brought his face closer and gave him another kiss on the top of his head, wiping his tears again when he moved back.

  
“So are you just coming to make sure we’re still here?” Hal asked.

Wally shook his head, struggling to breath around the lump in his throat that kept coming and going. He had a feeling that if he didn’t just fess up, they would ask anyway and he felt bad about lying to them.

“You’re… Safe” He choked around his tears.

He wasn’t surprised that they didn’t understand what he was trying to get across. The sentence had been hard to get out, even though it was just two words and the lack of information he had provided left them guessing.

“You’re making sure we’re safe?” Hal guessed, only for Wally to shake his head.

“You’re safe.” Wally tried again, tapping his own chest. He was still choking around tears and hiccups. “You… make- make… safe.”

He tapped his own chest again, really hoping that his message was getting through even though his voice wasn’t working properly.

“We make you feel safe?” Barry guessed.

Wally nodded, grateful that he wouldn’t have to keep making a fool out of himself while trying to explain his thought process behind sneaking around at night. Being pressed against Uncle Hal’s chest as he was, he could feel a movement in his chest when he hummed.

“Oh Baby.” Barry whispered, sounding choked up himself. “Comere you, let us hold you.” 

All of a sudden, he wasn’t seated any longer. His Uncle Hal had scooped him up while Uncle Barry moved the covers and he was set down in between them, the blankets covering him. The grown ups shifted and moved, getting comfy around him. As he was positioned, his back was to Uncle Hal and he was facing Uncle Barry, with both of them so close they were touching him.

Despite having been on their bed many, many times, he had never actually been in it, and he was surprised at just how warm and soft everything was. The blankets were heavy in a comfortable way, and they almost completely covered his face. Wiggling a little bit, Wally reassumed the position he had been laying in before he had gotten grabbed, though now he was resting with the top of his head under Uncle Barry’s chin.

He had to admit, it was a lot more comfy to be under the covers with them than it was to just be on the bed. He was essentially wrapped in a hug, Uncle Barry had one arm around his middle with his hand on his back while his other hand cupped the back of his head and played with his hair. Uncle Hal was behind him with one arm under him and the other hand resting on his hip, both of their heads were above his and when they tipped their heads their foreheads touched. 

With the warmth, the hour, the contact, and the exhaustion after a good cry, Wally was struggling to keep his eyes open. Focusing was also getting harder, everything sounded far off and distorted, like he was underwater, he thought he heard someone say his name but he couldn’t be sure. Not only that, but his body didn’t feel like his anymore, even moving his hand to grab onto Uncle Barry’s shirt felt like an olympian task and he couldn’t move his legs at all. Finally succumbing to his body’s need for sleep, Wally closed his eyes and let the world fall away.

~~~~ 

Hal was swimming in his own happiness, feeling like his heart might burst out of his chest at the sight of Wally curled up in his bed. Barry, his lover, his partner, his everything, had his hand on the back of Wally’s head and was holding him close and giving him little kisses on his crown, smiling at him all the while. Hal had seen love in his husband’s eyes before on many occasions, but this time felt different, Barry looked bliss and adoring, cuddling with their child.

Even though Hal couldn’t see Wally’s face, he could read his body language and feel his heartbeat slowing; the child was falling asleep. He couldn’t help what he was sure was a dopey grin when Barry looked at him with exhausted but happy blue eyes, shifting to lessen the gap between them so their foreheads ould rest together.

“He’s nearly out.” Barry whispered.

“I know.” Hal whispered back.

The blond tilted his head, burying his face in the sleep-tousled red hair, kissing his nephew’s head.

“Goodnight Wally.” He whispered into his hair, leaving another kiss.

“Sweet dreams Kiddo.” Hal added.

Wally shifted and made a small noise, moving his arm with no coordination whatsoever. Barry’s head snapped up and Hal could see a trace of panic in his eyes, only for him to gasp and relax again.

“What? What’s wrong, is he okay?” Hal hissed, moving his hand around, gently trying to make sure neither of them were hurt.

“Everything is fine, we’re fine.” Barry reassured, “He just grabbed onto my shirt and it surprised me.”

Hal let out a breath, halting his pat down of them and moving his hand to Barry’s back and pulling them both closer.

“Okay, good. Sorry, you gasped and I was worried.”

“It’s alright. Like I said, he grabbed onto my shirt, but I think he was on the edge of falling asleep so he kinda smacked me while doing it.” Barry whispered with a smile. “I’m pretty sure he’s asleep now though.”

“Good, that’s a good thing.” Hal breathed, “That’s what we wanted.”

“Yeah.” He agreed, closing his eyes.

Hal pressed closer, giving Barry a chaste kiss. His husband was on his way to falling asleep, with Hal not far behind. The night had honestly gone better than expected, there hadn’t been too much crying or confusion, he had scared Wally by accident but the little boy didn’t seem to be holding a grudge, and now all three of them were snuggled up together. It was a pretty good night in Hal’s book. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year everyone!!!! I know I took awhile on this chapter, but I hope that it finds you all in good spirits and health and is a good start to 2021.


	38. The Morning After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry and Hal cuddle with Wally the morning after they talk about the night time visits.

Hal woke up slowly, moving carefully until he was sure where everyone else in the bed was. He had never really slept with a child in his bed before and he didn’t want to roll over and accidentally squish him. Fortunately, Wally was still fine and sleeping, tucked close to Barry and holding onto his shirt, obviously dead to the world. Barry was shifting, probably just about to wake up.

Deciding to be nice to the man he married, Hal slid out of bed without throwing the covers back, hoping to keep the warm air in. As an added precaution, he tucked the covers in tighter around the two and gave Barry and Wally a kiss on their heads. Then he went downstairs to make himself a cup of coffee and some tea for Barry. He debated making some hot chocolate for Wally but decided against it, he was making tea for Barry because he was almost awake, Wally was still sleeping and his drink would probably be cold before he woke up.

When the drinks were ready Hal started making his way back to his room. As he suspected, Barry was awake but not really up yet, the blond was still laying under the covers curled up around Wally, who was still very much asleep. Barry opened his eyes and smiled at Hal when the brunette set the mugs on his bedside table, letting out a very sleepy noise of contentment when Hal climbed back into bed and gave him a kiss.

“Good morning, my beautiful StrawBarry.” He whispered.

“Morning Handsome.” Barry rasped.

Carefully, Barry shifted himself and Wally so that he could rest his head against Hal’s bicep, giving him big eyes until Hal rolled his eyes and pulled them both closer. He was rewarded with a purr from the speedster, a noise Barry could make by slightly vibrating his vocal cords that he made when happy and that Hal /loved/.

“Comfy?” Hal asked.

“Mhmm.” He hummed, hugging Wally tightly.

“How’s he, I’m not squishing him, am I?” 

“Mmm, he’s perfect.” Barry murmured, “He was still holding onto my shirt when I woke up, I think he cuddled with us all night.”

“Good, I’m glad.”

Barry hummed again and closed his eyes, burying his face in Wally’s hair. Hal kept an eye on the two of them, he could feel Wally’s heartbeat because the child’s back was pressed right against his side, but he was judging Barry by his body language. The blond was still, or as still as a speedster could be, and still making that purring noise faintly, so Hal was assuming he was happy and content though still waking up. Which reminded him.

“I made you some tea Babe.”

Barry lifted his face and smiled, only for it to fall a second later.

“What’s wrong?” Hal asked.

“I-I won’t be able to drink it.” Barry giggled, “Not while I’m laying down and holding the kid.”

Right, that made sense. It was never a good idea to try and drink a hot beverage while laying down, doubly so while literally cradling a sleeping child. Looking around for something to help with the situation, Hal spotted the extra blanket Barry had left folded at the foot of the bed.

“Sit up.” Hal requested, pulling his arm out from under Barry’s head.

The blond made a noise of protest, reaching for him when he got out of bed. It took Barry a moment to actually sit up, slowly adjusting Wally so he could still be in contact with him and comfortable, but he eventually managed it, resting back against the headboard with his pillow propped up for padding and Wally on his lap with his face tucked against his neck to block out the light. 

Hal grabbed the blanket from the foot of the bed and unfolded it by basically flapping it in the air. He then found the long end and draped it over Barry and Wally, pushing Barry’s shoulder so he could crawl behind him and settle the blond and their child against his chest. He finished up by tucking the blankets in around them, almost completely covering Wally’s head.

“There.” He declared, “Problem solved.”

Barry shifted against him, experimentally reaching out of the blanket and grabbing his mug.

“Yes it is.” He agreed, taking a sip of his tea.

Hal inwardly preened, wrapping his left arm around Barry’s waist and placing his hand on Wally’s back. His right hand alternated between resting on Barry’s waist or grabbing his coffee. He greatly enjoyed how they were sitting at the moment, he could feel both of their heartbeats, he could see them both, and the pressure of their bodies against his chest was welcome and reassuring. 

Barry was enjoying the way they were sitting as well, able to hold Wally and be held by Hal. His nephew’s heartbeat was steady against his own and his breaths tickled against his neck. Hal brought his head down and kissed his shoulder and the base of his neck, wrapping his arms around them and pulling them flush against him.

“I love you.” He murmured, “So, so much.”

Hal chuckled against his neck, tickling the sensitive skin.

“I love you too.” Hal responded, cupping the back of Wally’s head. “And I love you, Wally.”

Unsurprisingly, the sleeping child didn’t respond or react, he just kept sleeping against Barry’s shoulder. Hal toyed with his hair a little, looking at the sleeping boy with love and affection, Wally was always cute with his big green eyes and his freckles and his bright red hair, but when he was sleeping he looked like a little toy. 

When he was a child and his dad had taken him to the airstrip with him, there had been a cat that kept the mice at bay. One year, the cat had had kittens and had been very protective of them, keeping them in her bed at the back of the hanger and hissing at whoever had tried to get too close. Hal had spent an entire day ignoring the planes and watching the kittens, watching how their mother curled around them to keep them warm and safe. With Wally curled up in his lap and the little rumble in his chest, Barry reminded Hal of that cat, keeping their baby safe and warm.

“He’s still asleep.”

His husband's voice broke him out of his thoughts and dragged him back to the beautiful present, holding his boys in bed. Barry was shifting Wally to a better position, brushing his hair out of his face and giving him kisses.

“Yeah, I know. I just wanted to tell him.” Hal replied.

“Okay, just so long as you know.” 

Barry got Wally comfortable and relaxed, taking a sip of his tea and rested against Hal. 

“Are you excited for the holidays?” He asked, turning his head to look at Hal.

“Oh yeah, I think this is the most excited for the holidays I’ve ever been.” Hal answered, “I cannot wait to give Wally a good family Christmas, and I’m so excited to take him to meet all of his aunts and uncles.”

Barry wiggled, a full body shiver running through him.

“I know, I can’t wait! He’s gonna have so much fun!” He chirped, “And everyone is going to love him.”

“Of course they are, it would be impossible to not love him!” Hal agreed.

“Oh and he and Roy had so much fun together last time! I’ll bet they’re gonna have even more fun when they have more time together.” 

“I know, I can’t believe how lucky we are that Roy’s the kid he is. Wally’s gonna have him to look up to forever.” Hal rambled, “And the last time I talked to Ollie, he mentioned that Arthur was talking about bringing Kaldur and Mera, so the three of them can play together.”

Barry paused, thinking for a second.

“Doesn’t Kaldur have gills? That kind of defeats us not telling him who we are.” He pointed out.

“Arthur had some weird Atlantean magic that will cover up the gills and he was just gonna say that Kaldurs hands are different.” Hal explained, “Same with Mera so we can just say it’s a birth defect rather than a difference in species. I doubt Wally will look that far into it.”

“Oh, okay. Well that’s excellent then, I hope they get along.” Barry said, smiling.

“I’ll bet they will. Kaldur seemed like a pretty nice kid, pretty quiet but nice. I’m sure he’ll get along great with Roy and Wally.” 

Barry kept smiling, going back to brushing the hair out of Wally’s face and cuddling with him. Hal laid back and took a drink of his coffee, pushing the mug at Barry’s face to tease him before putting it back on the bedside table. When he’d put the mug down, Barry nudged him sharply with his elbow as retaliation.

“Jerk.” He mumbled.

“You love me.”

“Doesn’t make you less of a jerk.” 

Hal laughed, “No, you’re right. But in my defense, you look so damn adorable with your nose all scrunched up like that.”

“You can’t even see my nose!” Barry argued with a laugh.

“But I can picture it, and it’s adorable.” 

“Then picture it and stop pushing your drink in my face.” 

Deciding to make an ass of himself, Hal slowly reached for his cup. Barry watched his hand the entire time while he took a drawn out sip and held it halfway between his husbands face and the table.

“What should I do instead?” He asked, inching the cup closer.

“Cuddle me.” Barry suggested, trying to turn his head enough to give Hal the big eyes.

Hal nodded and put his cup down, koala-ing himself around his partner and their kid.

“Now that sounds much better.” He whispered in his ear.

“Yeah, it better.” Barry mumbled, “Jerk.

“Love of my life.” Hal responded.

Barry chuckled and tucked himself and Wally closer to his husband. The lantern locked his arms around them and leaned over Barry’s shoulder to give Wally a few kisses, trailing some along Barry’s shoulder while he sat back up. After a few minutes, Barry dozed off, resting with his boy’s around him and cuddling with them both, he was very much looking forward to the future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know that this was a shorter chapter and I know it took a while to get here. This is just a transitional for me, the story will pick back up at Christmas (in the storyline, not this upcoming december) Just hang in there.


	39. Breakfast With The Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry, Hal, and Wally make breakfast while they wait for their company to show up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning! Copious amounts of fluff ahead, make sure you bring a toothbrush and cavity-preventing toothpaste, you will need it. Enjoy!

Barry and Hal were working together on tidying up the kitchen the morning of the Friday when Barry’s side of the family came to visit. Wally was upstairs in his room, probably still asleep because of the early hour. The adults were only up so they had a few hours to make the house more presentable and discuss the upcoming two days without being listened in on.

They had until ten o’clock until Iris and Joe arrived, and Joan and Jay’s ‘train’ didn’t get in until eleven o’clock, so Hal was going to leave to go get them at ten-thirty. They had everything they needed for the weekend; food, drinks, snacks, and a large tree in the corner of the living room that they were going to decorate later that evening with everyone around to participate. 

What both of the adults were worried about at the moment was how Wally was going to do for the gathering. They had already worked out a system with the little boy so they could communicate with each other; two taps meant that he needed to be held or hugged, three taps meant he needed some quiet time in his room with one of them, and four taps meant he needed to go to bed because he was done for the day. Hal and Barry had assured him that their tap system came with no strings attached, there would be no questions about it’s necessity, no time restraints, no judgement, and no negative consequences if implicated. Still, neither wanted to push Wally to the point where he felt the need to use any of those, especially since they were using this as a way to get his feet wet for the New Year’s party.

Barry was deep in thought while polishing the silverware, wondering about if Wally was going to have fun. He had been pretty excited about seeing his Aunt Iris and happy about seeing his Grandpa Joe, but he had also expressed anxiety about meeting Jay and Joan. As much as Barry really hoped that his mentors would make a good impression on his little boy, he couldn’t guarantee that. If he was overwhelmed and stressed, he might just associate that negative feeling towards the two people he hadn’t met and not want to see them anymore.

Hal had already finished his job, which had been vacuuming, and was holding onto Barry and cuddling with him. His husband had added his speed to the mix, his hands moving so fast that they were a blur while he wiped the cutlery with a cloth dipped in vinegar. He could feel how tense he was, his foot was tapping rapidly and he was mumbling to himself, so Hal pressed his face into the back of his neck and gave him some kisses.

“What’s the matter Carebear?” He asked.

“Nothing, I’m just nervous about this whole thing.” He huffed.

“Are you?” Hal whispered, “Why?”

Barry paused and placed all of the polished butter knives into their slot and moved onto soup spoons.

“I’m worried that this might be too much for Wally, I want him to enjoy himself but I know that he’s going to be stressed.”

“Okay, I can agree with that, I’m concerned about that as well.” Hal agreed, “How do you think we can make that better?”

“We already agreed that you would go get Jay and Joan so that he had me with him when he met them, and we made the tap system.” Barry listed, “I guess that we can make sure one of us is always close by him so he doesn’t feel alone.”

“That’s a good plan.” 

To his delight, Barry seemed a little more relaxed and wasn’t so tense while he finished polishing the silver cutlery. When he had finished, he filled the kettle with water and pushed down the tab to make it boil the water. Hal picked up his coffee mug and followed his partner to the living room, sitting on the couch and welcoming the blond under his arm to cuddle for a while. 

When the water had boiled, Barry reluctantly got up off the couch and went to make himself a mocha, mixing the coffee, hot chocolate powder, and water together into a bitter-sweet treat. He deposited his dirty spoon into the dishwasher when he was finished stirring his drink and carried it back into the living room, putting the mug down on a coaster and worming his way back under Hal’s arm.

“See, you complain about coffee but you still drink it.” Hal mumbled, pressing his face into Barry’s hair.

“It’s really bitter!” Barry explained, “But when I mix it with hot chocolate, that makes it taste better. You like mochas too, so don’t judge.”

“No, I’m going to. I can drink the coffee without the hot chocolate, unlike some unnamed blond in this room.” He teased.

Barry pouted at him, squirming out from under his arm and moving to the edge of the couch. He settled in and crossed his arms, intentionally turning his face away from Hal and leaning away from him.

“Oh come on Bear, don’t be like that.” Hal implored, moving over beside him.

“No, you were mean. Now I don’t want to cuddle with you.” He said, still pouting but there was a playfulness in his tone.

“Can I make it up to you?” He asked, shifting closer and creeping his hands across his shoulders.

Barry pretended to think for a moment, playfully tapping on his chin and keeping his eyes turned upwards. He had a restrained smile on his face while he kept Hal waiting, finally looking at his partner with a stern look.

“Only if you apologize.” He declared, “And give me a kiss. And grab me a box of chocolates from the store when you leave to go get Jay and Joan.”

“Is that all?” Hal asked.

“You can’t make fun of me for not liking straight coffee ever again.” He added.

“Okay, I can do three of those things, but in no universe am I ever going to stop teasing you about not liking coffee.” Hal conceded. “I’m sorry I teased you Hotstuff.”

Hal leaned in and gave Barry a soft kiss, feeling his lips and tasting his vanilla flavoured chapstick. Barry smiled against his lips while they kissed, breaking away for a second to adjust himself so he could wrap his arms around Hal’s shoulders. After a few minutes of kissing, Hal pushed Barry back, smiling at his lips, swollen and plump from kissing. He pulled Barry back to where they had been and tucked him under his arm to cuddle again.

“I’ll get your chocolates later.” He promised.

“Fine.”

Hal smiled and laughed to himself, holding his lover close to him and nuzzling into his hair. Barry leaned into him and wrapped around his midsection to be closer. When Hal grabbed his coffee, he playfully offered Barry a sip and was swatted in return, and when Barry grabbed his drink Hal stole a drink from it, getting smacked again. The two stayed cuddling for a while, good naturally teasing one another, kissing and drinking the morning away.

They were in the middle of laughing at each other when Wally came downstairs, addressed for the day in jeans, a tee shirt and an unzipped hoodie. He hurried over to his uncles and crawled into Barry’s lap, hugging him tight. Barry returned the embrace, giving his nephew a kiss on the head and moving Wally further onto the couch. Hal put his coffee down and bundled both Barry and Wally in a hug, ruffling Wally’s hair and kissing his head.

“Morning Kiddo.”

“Hello Sweetheart.” Barry greeted.

Wally squirmed and smiled while he held onto his uncle’s shirt.

“Good morning!” He chirped, bouncing on his uncle’s lap.

Hal grinned at his child, it seemed that Wally was in a very happy, very affectionate mood. He was leaning right into their embrace, and returning the hug. Though he had usually waited for them to initiate contact and then returned it enthusiastically, in recent weeks he had started to more openly ask for it. He had never just crawled onto their laps, but he had rested his head against Hal’s arm, and he had initiated hugs with Barry, the progress was staggering and it made Hal so proud to see how far he had come.

“You excited Squirt?” Hal asked the child.

“Yeah!” Wally agreed, wiggling on Barry’s lap.

“Good, that’s good. You remember our code, right?” Barry asked.

“Yep! Two for a hug, three for some playtime in my room, four for bedtime!” Wally recited.

“That’s my boy.” Hal praised, giving Wally a kiss on his forehead.

The little boy was practically glowing from the praise, loving how he was being held and how he was being spoken to. Barry kissed him again and reached around his child to take his drink, catching Wally’s interest.

“Uncle Barry, can I please have some of your hot chocolate?” He asked.

Hal bit his lip, smiling at how sorry Barry looked when Wally asked. There was no way it was a good idea to give an eight year old anything with caffeine, but it was also hard to say no to those adorable puppy dog eyes.

“No Sweetheart, it has coffee in it. But there’s plenty of hot water, we can make you your own.” He compromised.

“Yes please!” Wally agreed eagerly.

Barry ruffled his hair and kissed his forehead, standing up and carrying him to the kitchen. Hal got up too and followed them, getting the hot chocolate powder down and grabbing a mug for them so Barry didn’t have to strain to reach up with a child on his hip. The water was still very hot and it produced a cloud of steam when Barry poured it into the mug and stirred in the cocoa powder. Deciding that Wally deserved a treat, Hal grabbed the can of whipped cream from the fridge and added a generous dollop of it to the top of Wally’s drink.

“Just so you two can tell your drinks apart.” He justified when Barry gave him a look.

The whipped cream was for the pumpkin pie and ice cream later that evening, but Hal was sure that the little bit he had put in Wally’s drink wasn’t going to mean somebody would have to go without later that night. Besides, it made the little boy light up at the sight of it, he was being asked to step out of his comfort zone today, he could be indulged in a little treat.

Barry shook his head indulgently and picked up the mug to carry it back to the living room. Hal trailed behind them after he put the whipped cream back in the fridge, his heart swelling at how domestic his StrawBarry looked with a child on his hip, looking at their boy with adoration on his features. He took the hot cup from Barry and set it down on the coffee table, letting the other man settle in on the couch and sat down next to them. 

With the mug on the table, Wally leaned over and grabbed the cup, taking a quick drink from the steamy mug. When he put it back down, he had white cream on the tip of his little nose and a smile that was contagious for everyone. Hal laughed while he grabbed a tissue from the box, cupping Wally’s chin and wiping his nose with the tissue, giving him a kiss when his nose was clean.

Barry watched the moment with affection, tugging both of them closer to him, wrapping an arm around Hal’s shoulder and pulling Wally back into his lap. Their little boy wrapped his arms around Barry’s neck and rested his head against his shoulder. Hal was smiling at the both of them, holding them close to him. After a few moments, it dawned on him that he and Barry had been up for quite awhile without breakfast and Wally was a growing eight year old, meaning it was probably time for some food.

“How about some breakfast, that sound good?” Hal pitched.

Barry perked up at the mention of a meal, hunger prominent in his pretty eyes when he turned to look at his partner. Wally wiggled and nodded, reaching over for his other uncle, who happily took him and stood up, heading to the kitchen with Barry following close behind.

“What do we want for breakfast?” Hal asked, looking around the kitchen.

“French toast!” Wally declared, giving Hal his puppy eyes.

“French toast. That sounds pretty good.” He agreed, looking at his husband. “Bear, you good for french toast?”

“I’m good for anything.” Barry said, placing a hand on his hungry stomach.

“French toast it is.” Hal announced, grabbing the ingredients from the fridge.

It wasn’t easy mixing eggs, milk, vanilla, cloves, and cinnamon in a bowl with a child on his hip, but Hal persevered. Wally helped where he could, shaking the dry spices into the bowl under his uncle's instruction and poking the egg yolks with a fork before Hal whisked the contents together. Barry smiled at the pair while he started heating up the pan and adding butter to it, grabbing the bread from the cupboard and opening it up.

Hal and Wally had fun together, Wally got to dip the bread into the egg mixture, and hand them over to his uncle to put in the hot pan. Barry couldn’t hold back his laughter when he watched Hal teach their nephew how to flip the toast, treasuring how proud of himself he looked when he successfully pulled it off. The three were all smiles and laughter while they made the meal, Hal and Wally working on the toast while Barry sliced up strawberries and made a spread of different toppings to go with the toast, including strawberries, blueberries, maple syrup, icing sugar, and nutella.

Barry made quick work of setting the table with plates, glasses of milk, cutlery, and extra napkins to combat the various sticky foods on the table. He exchanged a quick kiss with Hal when they crossed paths, the pilot bringing the overflowing plate of toast to the table and Barry on his way to grab the last of the toppings off the kitchen island. When he came back to the table, the other two were already seated and waiting politely for him to join them before Hal started serving them food.

It took some thought for Wally to figure out what he wanted on his toast, given that he had so many options to choose from. What he ended up doing was just copying his Uncle Barry and adding everything, smearing nutella over his slice of toast, topping it with berries and icing sugar, and pouring maple syrup over it. As it turned out, that was a brilliant idea, the flavours were amazing together and Wally hardly looked up while he ate.

Hal and Barry smiled at each other while they all ate. It seemed that if their child had any reservations about the company coming, it wasn’t weighing too heavily on him. He was relaxed and smiling while he ate his breakfast, not that he was really looking up at his uncles while he devoured his meal. Hal finished his meal first and got up to go start cleaning up the kitchen, Barry stayed to help Wally wipe his face after he was done eating, as he was covered in nutella, syrup, and icing sugar. His clothes were clean, but Barry was going to need to take him up to the bathroom and wash his face before the guests arrived.

Wally squirmed out of his reach and went to put his plate and cutlery in the dishwasher, Barry following him to the kitchen with the bowls that the toppings had been in. He put the dishes directly into the sink full of soapy water, giving Hal a kiss on the cheek while he was elbow deep in the dishwater.

“I’m gonna take Wally upstairs to get cleaned up before Iris and Joe get here.” He informed the pilot.

Hal twisted around to see Wally’s sticky face and laughed.

“Smart. I’ll be down here, just holler if you need me.”

Barry agreed and gave him another kiss on the cheek, then he turned to grab Wally. He threw the child up in the air, caught him, and gave him a kiss on the forehead, making the redhead squeal in delight. The forensic scientist carried Wally upstairs, whispering loving words to him while he carried him into the bathroom and set him on the counter. 

He grabbed a fresh washcloth from one of the cabinets under the sink and wet it with warm water. Wringing it out, he gently dabbed the cloth over Wally’s sticky face, carefully wiping away the remnants of the food off of his skin. It took a couple of rinses, but after a few minutes Barry was patting his face dry with a soft hand towel and lifting him back into his arms and showering him with kisses.

He delayed going back downstairs, spending a moment to just hug and hold Wally in the quiet. His little boy had gotten so much better, he was happy and playful and he had crawled into bed with them many times. Sometimes Barry would go to bed with just himself and Hal in the bed, only to wake up in the morning with a cuddly little boy in the bed, other times Wally would creep into the room while both adults were awake and ask to spend the night. He loved it, he loved being able to cuddle with Wally and know he was close.

“Uncle Barry, you’re squeezing me too tight.” Wally complained, squirming in his uncle’s arms and breaking Barry out of his thoughts.

“Sorry Baby.” Barry apologized, loosening his grip. “I love you. So, so much.”

“I love you too Uncle Barry.” 

Barry pressed his face into Wally hair to hide his teary eyes, giving the boy some more kisses. He hoped that hearing his nephew say ‘I love you’ never stopped making his heart swell. There was still plenty of room to grow, though he had gotten more comfortable telling Barry he loved him, he had yet to say it to Hal at all. 

His husband swore up and down that it didn’t bother him much, Wally needed to take steps like these at his own pace and he wanted it to be the boy’s choice when he said it, not something he felt pressured to say. Besides, Wally had a great relationship with Hal, he would wait for him to come home so he could be carried around by him while they each talked about their day, they had all gone sledding as a family and Wally had had a blast going down the hill with Hal, and the pilot was the one to wake up when Wally crawled in with them. So Wally undoubtedly loved his Uncle Hal, he just hadn’t worked himself up to saying it yet. No matter, that time would come, he had been about to fall asleep when he had told Barry, after an evening of being held, so the circumstances just needed to be right for Wally to take that step again with his other uncle.

“Ready to go back downstairs Sweetheart?” He asked when he trusted his voice to not give away his emotions.

“Yeah.” Wally responded, his arms dangling down Barry’s back.

“Okay. Your Aunt Iris will be here soon, are you excited to see her again?” 

“Yes!” He replied, sounding happy.

“Good, I know she’s excited to see you too.” Barry said.

He gave Wally one final kiss and carried him out of the bathroom, carefully bringing them back downstairs. He set Wally down on the threshold between the front foyer and the kitchen, smiling after him while he raced off to go stare out the window so he could wait for his aunt and grandfather. 

In the time they’d been upstairs, Hal had washed, dried, and put away the dishes, so he wrapped his arms around Barry and gave him two kisses on the cheek. The blond turned around so his back was pressed against Hal’s chest, leaning against him while they both smiled at their nephew, who was drawing patterns and stick figures on the frost in the window.

“I don’t think you need to be too worried about him not having fun today, he seems pretty excited.” Hal breathed in his ear.

“Good, I want him to enjoy himself.” Barry responded.

Hal guided Barry back over to the couch and sat them down, settling Barry’s legs over his lap. They had around fifteen minutes before Iris and Joe showed up and it seemed that Hal intended to spend them with his husband close by. Soon, Wally got bored drawing in the frost and came over to join their cuddle pile, climbing up on the sofa, tucking himself under Hal’s arm, and leaning his head against his uncle’s side. Barry grabbed the television remote and turned on the T.V, flipping to the cartoon channel where some Christmas-y short was playing. The trio settled in to watch while they waited, enjoying each other’s company.


	40. On The First Day Of Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iris, Joe, Joan, and Jay arrive and the holidays begin!

Hal and Barry were sitting in the living room, Iris was on the armchair with Wally on her lap, and Joe was on the couch with them. The Wests had arrived fifteen minutes before and were settled in with the household residents in the living room, as soon as they had arrived, Wally had been all over his aunt. He had hung off her arm while she had put her bags down in the library and set the gifts she’d bought under the tree, and when she had sat down he had immediately climbed into her lap. The pair had been sitting together since, quietly talking to each other, occasionally giggling, and smiling all the while.

Barry was leaning against his shoulder, talking with Hal and Joe but keeping an eye on his sister and nephew. He was still worried about introducing the boy to the other pair coming to the gathering, but it was still very sweet to see him so happy with his aunt. Hal kept checking the clock on his phone, given that he was going to go meet Jay and Joan in a few minutes, but he was still engaged in the conversation and kept his arm around his partner.

At ten-thirty, Hal got up from the couch and started grabbing his things to head out. He gave Barry a quick kiss and waved goodbye to Joe and Iris as he put his phone and wallet in his pocket. He took a second to give Wally a kiss, stepping around the coffee table to do so.

“Don’t forget my chocolate!” Barry called after him.

“I won’t!” Hal promised.

There was laughing from the living room while the front door opened and closed, letting them know that Hal had left.

“He’s getting you chocolate?” Iris asked.

“Yeah, he is.” Barry giggled.

“Why?” 

Barry blushed and looked away, laughing to himself.

“He made fun of me earlier and I told him that the only way I would forgive him is if he got me chocolates when he went out to get the Garricks.” he laughed, “So he’s getting me chocolates.”

Iris and Joe burst out laughing, Wally looking among the grown ups with a confused smile. As far as he knew, his uncles were always happy with each other, so it was odd to hear that his Uncle Barry wanted Uncle Hal to bring him chocolates. Still, everyone was still happy and having fun, so he just went back to cuddling with his aunt. He was a little nervous to meet the people Uncle Hal had just left to go get, even though he was told that they were a little older than his Grandpa, they were still new to him and that was scary. Aunt Iris gave him a kiss on the head and rubbed his back.

“You doing okay Baby?” She whispered.

“Yeah.” He responded.

“Okay, just let me know if you need anything.” 

Wally nodded against her shoulder, letting her hold him close and stroke his hair. It was hard to be too stressed out when he was spending time with his aunt, and he had some time before Uncle Hal came back home. Besides, he had the code with his uncles if he needed to use it.

~~~~

Barry heard Hal back into the driveway and got up with Iris, Joe, and Wally to go greet Jay and Joan. He put a hand on Wally’s shoulder to keep him back for a moment, letting the other two go ahead so he had a second with his nephew.

“Do you want to stay close to me while we go meet the Garricks?” He asked quietly.

“Yes please.” Wally whispered.

The relief on his face made Barry’s heart clench, knowing this was a stressful moment for Wally. He tucked the kid close to his side and guided them to the front entrance where people were gathering, Iris was sitting on the stairs, Joe was beside the railing, and Hal, Jay, and Joan were just getting inside. Hal shrugged off his own jacket and took their guests coats, hanging them up in the closet, then he took off his boots and made a beeline to his husband and nephew, passing a small box of chocolates to Barry discreetly.

Both men stood together with Wally in between them, Barry kept his hand on Wally’s shoulder and Hal put a hand on his back. The three of them patiently waited for Iris and Joe to say their hellos, complete with lots of hugs and kisses. Inevitably, Joan spotted Wally and smiled at him. Hal urged Wally closer to her, all three taking a few steps forward.

“Wally, this is Joan.” Barry introduced, “Joan, this is our nephew Wally.”

Joan knelt down to Wally’s level and offered her hand to him. 

“Hello Sweetheart, I’m Joan.” She greeted nicely, “It’s nice to finally meet you, I’ve heard so much about you.”

Wally shook her hand and smiled at her, even though Hal could see how shaky his hand was and could feel him shivering.

“Nice to meet you too.” He replied.

Jay noticed the proceedings going on between his wife and his new grandson and lit up, hurrying to join Joan in front of the child. Wally leaned back from the enthusiastic movements, looking up at Barry frantically. His uncle crouched down beside his nephew and gestured to Jay.

“This is Jay, he’s Joan’s husband.” Barry told him, “Jay, this is Wally.”

Wally waved at him but leaned into his uncle rather than shake his hand. Barry offered Jay an apologetic smile and lifted Wally up, both of the Garricks standing up as well.

“We’re a little shy.” Barry explained.

Wally pressed his face into Barry’s neck, holding onto him with an iron-tight grip. Jay nodded, shoving one hand into his pocket and grabbing Joan’s hand with the other. Hal took Wally from Barry and carried him into the kitchen to calm down and give Barry a chance to greet his mentor.

“I’m sorry Barry, I didn’t mean to scare him.” Jay apologized.

“It’s alright, it was an accident. Hal’s got him he’ll be okay.” 

Jay shook his head.

“No, I knew that he was nervous, I shouldn’t have rushed him like that.” Jay said.

“And you’ll know better next time.” Joan agreed, letting go of her husband’s hand and giving Barry a tight hug. “It’s good to see you Dear, it’s been too long.”

“Good to see you too Joan.” Barry returned, “I’ve missed you too.”

When Joan was done fussing over him, Jay stepped forward and enveloped him in a bear hug. Barry hugged him back, feeling his bones constrict under the pressure. Joe and Iris slipped past the trio and headed back into the living room to give them some privacy.

“How are you doing Son, you keeping busy?” He asked, keeping his voice low.

Barry burst out laughing and nodded.

“I have an eight year old now Jay, so yeah, I’ve been keeping myself occupied.” He answered.

Jay and Joan laughed with him.

“Okay, fair enough, silly question.” Jay admitted, “But you’re happy? I know that you’re staying home with him.”

“Yeah, I’m happy guys, really happy.” Barry said, smiling. “I love being home with him, he’s such a sweet kid and it’s been so great to see him grow and get comfortable with us.”

“So you like being a dad then?” Joan asked.

“I do, I really, really do.” He whispered.

Joan grinned and gave him another hug, somehow tighter than the one her husband had given her.

“Good, parenthood looks good on you. Hal too, the both of you look so happy.” Jay congratulated, making Barry blush.

“Thank you Jay, that means a lot.” 

Jay smiled and gave him a pat on the back, heading into the living room. Joan smiled after her husband and shook her head indulgently, then she gave Barry a kiss on the cheek and walked with him further into the house.

“He’s happy for you, we both are.” She promised, “We both can’t wait to get to know your son, he must be very special.”

“Thank you Joan.” 

The two split apart after that, Joan going to join her husband with Joe and Iris in the living room. Barry went to the kitchen, where Hal was leaning against the counter with Wally held in his arms. The blond speedster hurried over to his family and put a hand on the child’s back. Wally jumped when he felt a new person's hand on him but when he saw who it was he relaxed.

“Hey Kiddo, you doing alright?” He asked quietly.

Wally nodded and rested his head against Hal’s shoulder. He had stopped shaking and looked far more at ease than he had a few minutes ago, though he was holding fast to Hal’s sweater.

“He’s okay, just needed a hug.” Hal whispered, “He got a little overwhelmed for a second, but he’ll be fine.”

Barry smiled and rubbed Wally’s back, moving closer to give him a kiss on the head. Hal wrapped an arm around his waist and squeezed, both of them holding Wally quietly while he settled down.

“Jay didn’t mean to frighten you Sweetheart,” Barry whispered, “He’s really sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Wally muttered.

“Do you want to go spend some time upstairs?” Hal asked.

Wally shook his head and shifted a little. Barry gave him another kiss and looked up at Hal, who looked equally as concerned.

“Are you okay if we go to the living room? I swear that we’ll make sure that you have some space.” Barry proposed.

“Okay.” Wally agreed.

Hal nodded and unwound his arm from Barry’s waist, instead holding his hand while they walked into the living room. Iris had reclaimed her spot on the armchair, Jay and Joan had claimed the loveseat, and Joe was on the couch, leaving plenty of space for Hal and Barry to sit. Hal sat against the arm of the couch with Wally on his lap and pulled Barry down next to him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. 

Wally peeked at the others in the room from his spot on Hal’s lap. His aunt and grandfather were much the same as they had been before the two other people had shown up, while said new people were on the smaller couch. He felt bad about how he had reacted when he had met them, he had been fine with the lady, but the man had shocked him and he felt bad about it.

He made a promise to himself that he would be braver, but for the moment he just cuddled with Uncle Hal. He had plenty of time to get to know the two new people, given that they were going to be here for the weekend. He was sorry that he had made Uncle Barry sad, but he would make it up later, so long as his uncles were close by.

The grown ups kept up a friendly conversation for a few hours, asking Iris about her job and what stories she had chased recently, asking Joe how retirement was treating him, and talking to Hal about his work. They couldn’t talk about superhero work, because of Wally, but Jay and Joan talked about their life on the farm and about the animals they took care of.

“Our ducks are simply furious about the winter.” Jay joked, “They always get so upset whenever the pond freezes, it’s like they forget that winter is a yearly event.”

Everyone laughed, Joan shaking her head in agreement. The Garricks ducks were the stars of many stories, given how much personality they had. The water birds had engaged in shenanigans like managing to open a bag of grains and spreading it across the driveway, eat all of the grapes from Joan’s garden, and swimming in the cow trove even though the pond was available. Jay had sworn up and down that they were very aware of how beloved they were and acted like that on purpose, knowing they wouldn’t be punished for it. The talk of animals piqued Wally’s interest, prompting him to speak.

“You have ducks?” He asked.

Jay froze and looked at the child with a mix of disbelief and joy. Then he looked at Hal and Barry, receiving a nod of encouragement.

“Yes we do.” He answered, “We have a flock of seven ducks.”

“Do they have names?” Wally asked, moving so he could better see the man he was conversing with.

Jay paused and was quiet for a second, thinking about the questions. The ducks didn’t have any official names, given that one, they didn’t come when called, and two, they looked almost identical and moved as a unit. They were referred to as ‘the ducks’ most of the time, unless they had been causing some trouble, in which case they were called ‘the seven deadly sins’ or ‘the feathered fuckers’ but it wasn’t like they could tell an eight year old that.

“Not really, they don’t come when they’re called and they all look alike, so we just call them the ducks.” Jay said.

“Oh.” Wally said, “Okay.”

That said, he snuggled closer to Hal but kept an eye on his surroundings. Jay smiled at Joan, who gave him a kiss on the cheek in congratulations. Hal ruffled Wally’s hair and gave him a hug and a kiss.

The group went back to discussing things at random, talking about the holidays or old memories. Jay had an arm around Joan and was fully engaged in the conversation but he also kept glancing at Wally out of the corner of his eye. The original Flash had taken a liking to Barry Allen when he had gotten his powers as a young man and had helped him learn to control them and in doing so had become a major presence in his life and in turn, Barry had become one in his. 

He had listened to his worries about being a hero, had been told about the prospect of the Justice League forming, he had been one of the first people Barry had ever come out to. He could remember the call he’d gotten months ago, when a distraught Hal had called him and Joan to tell them that a member of Barry’s adopted family was in the hospital and would he mind covering Central for a while? He had gotten a similar call a few weeks later, when he had been informed that Barry and Hal would be taking in a child and becoming his legal guardians.

Jay had done his best to be there for them, he had helped keep an eye on Barry’s city, along with various members of the Justice League, he’d brought over some meals that Joan had made to the hotel they had stayed at, and he had tried to ease the burden just a little. A small part of him, one he’d never shed light on, had been sure that it was a doomed mission, he had heard bits and pieces about what Wally had been through and figured that he was too broken to fix, that there was too much damage done for any amount of love to fix. And yet, miraculously, he’d started to get better, he was starting to bounce back and recover. Jay knew that no other couple but Barry and Hal would have ever been able to do it.

~~~~

Later in the evening, the house was much more lively. The kitchen was full of Jay, Barry, and Joe as they worked together on supper and the house was filled with the smell of cooking turkey. Joan had taken over the dining table with Iris, Hal and Wally, the four decorating cookies that she had baked the day before and brought with her. There were bowls of candies, containers of sprinkles, and piping bags of frosting in various colours available for use, and the entire household felt light and happy. 

Hal had Wally sitting in his lap, each working on a different cookie on separate plates. According to Iris and Joe, Wally had decorated cookies before, but he had been very little and he didn’t really remember it, so he was still figuring out how to do it. Combine that with the fact that his hands were too small to properly work the piping bags, his cookies were turning out quite differently than Hal’s, while his uncle would make straight lines and dots with the icing, Wally was just happy if his was actually on the cookie.

Hal finished decorating his gingerbread man and set it on the drying rack with the rest of the decorated cookies, looking at Wally's. The little boy’s gingerbread man was covered in red frosting, including the head, but he had used little candies to make buttons and eyes, and had dusted some sprinkles on the torso, so he was taking some creative liberties and having fun with the activity. Hal ruffled his hair and gave him a kiss on the top of the head, then he poked him in the side, which made him giggle and squeal. 

“Having a good time?” He asked.

“Yep!” Wally chirped, pushing more candies into the frosting.

“Good.” Hal murmured, grabbing a blank cookie from the container.

Barry and Jay came over from the kitchen to look over the cookies, looking over the cookies on the cooling rack and the ones on the plates. Barry huffed out a laugh when he saw the amalgamation of icing, candy, and sprinkles that Wally had made and gave him a kiss.

“Looks like you guys are having a nice time.” Jay said, kissing Joan on the cheek.

“We are, we’re all having a great time.” Iris agreed, shaking a bottle of sprinkles over her cookie.

“Good, we’ll have some great cookies to go with pie and ice cream tonight.” Barry said, an excited tone in his voice.

Then, before anyone could stop them, Jay grabbed two cookies off the rack, shoved one in his mouth, and darted away from the table before Joan could swat him. Barry dipped his hand in the bowl of gummies and grabbed some, popping one in his mouth and heading calmly back to the kitchen while everyone was distracted by Jay. Both of the speedsters ignored the indignant shouts they got from the people at the table while they went back to the kitchen, where Joe was smiling and shaking his head.

“Honestly both of you, aren’t you adults?” He asked, turning to Barry. “You, young man, haven’t changed since you were a child.”

“I’m hungry!” Barry protested, tossing another gummy in his mouth.

“You’re always hungry! Between you and Iris, you stole the whole snack cupboard when you were kids.” Joe groaned.

“In our defence, you were the one who banned snacks after school!” Iris called out, “If you’d have just let us have some crackers, we wouldn’t have needed to steal them!”

Joe rolled his eyes at them and shook his head, moving away from the two he had raised and turning his attention to Jay, who had gone back to boiling the potatoes with a gingerbread man hanging out of his mouth.

“You!” He said, pointing at the older man, “Should definitely know better, aren’t you too old to steal cookies?”

“I’m old!” Jay defended, “I’ve only got so long, I’m allowed to have cookies.”

Joan burst out laughing from the table, shaking her head at her gingerbread ornament.

“Don’t you fall for that Joe!” She cackled, “He’s been trying that excuse since he turned sixty! He’s healthy as a horse and he has no excuse to be stealing cookies.”

Wally giggled quietly and put a piece of candy in his mouth. Hal hugged him close and copied him, taking a piece of candy from his hand and popping it in his mouth. The commotion in the kitchen had died down and everyone went back to what they were doing, though Hal gave his blank cookie to Wally and just watched the others decorate. 

After an hour, the table was cleared and wiped down, the cookies were put in tupperware containers, and Joan and Iris were setting the table for supper. Joe was carving the turkey and setting the pieces on a platter, Barry carried the rest of the food to the table and placed it on hotplates. Jay opened a bottle of wine and started pouring some into the glasses by the dinner plates, kissing Joan on the cheek when they crossed paths.

Hal helped Wally put cutlery on the table and sat the child on his chair so he was out of the way while hot food was being moved around. It didn’t take long until everything was on the table, everyone took their seat except for Joe, who carried over the turkey platter and placed it in the center of the table. Then the retired policeman took his seat at the head of the table and everyone besides Hal joined hands for Grace and bowed their heads.

“God, we ask you to bless this food before we eat. We ask that you watch over us this upcoming year and that you guide our hands with your love. In the Lord's name. Amen.” Joe prayed.

“Amen.” Joan, Jay, and Barry echoed.

Wally didn’t say it, instead looking at his Uncle Hal, who had excluded himself from the prayer. The little boy leaned over to his uncle when his hands were released, and whispered to him.

“Uncle Hal, how come you didn’t pray?” He asked quietly.

“Because I’m Jewish.” He answered simply, piling some mashed potatoes onto his and Wally’s plates.

“What’s that?” He whispered.

“It’s a different religion.” Hal told him, “Barry, Joe, and Iris are Protestant and Joan and Jay are Christian. They follow a different way of faith than I do.”

Hal could see some confusion on Wally’s face but he wasn’t asking questions anymore.

“If you’d like, I can explain it better later.” He offered, “For now, how about we just enjoy the nice meal?”

Wally nodded and looked at his growing plate of food, he had corn, mashed potatoes, a dinner roll, and dressing. Hal was serving both of them turkey and the gravy boat was making its way around the table.

It was mostly silent at the table, save for requests for more wine or water. As per usual, Jay and Barry ate the most, but even with two hungry speedsters, there were plenty of leftovers. In good time, everyone finished eating and Hal and Iris started clearing the plates into the kitchen while Jay and Barry started putting the leftovers in tupperware containers and into the fridge. Joe and Joan filled up the sink with hot, soapy water and started to wash the pots and pans, drying them and putting them away in their places. 

“So are we going to eat our dessert and then decorate the tree, or are we decorating the tree and then eating dessert?” Joe asked, elbow deep in soapy water.

“I would do dessert first.” Hal said, placing the last of the leftovers in the fridge.

“I agree.” Joan agreed.

“Okay, dessert first, then we decorate the tree.” Joe declared.

When the dishes were washed, dried, and put away, Joan got the pie she had brought from the fridge and put it on the table. Hal grabbed the ice cream from the freezer and tossed it next to the pie, then he grabbed the whipped cream and put it on the table. Barry took down bowls and dessert plates from the cupboard and got forks, spoons, the ice cream scoop, and the pie cutter from the cutlery drawer.

Everyone sat back down at the table and was served food. Wally got a big bowl of chocolate ice cream, topped with whipped cream and some sprinkle and gummy’s Joan had added with a wink. Everyone else got a large slice of pie with a dollop of whipped cream and a double scoop of ice cream. Hal gave Wally a forkful of his pie to see if he liked it, the little boy wrinkled his nose at the taste but swallowed it, then went back to his ice cream.

“Don’t worry Honey, pumpkin pie is a bit of an acquired taste.” Joan told him when she saw his face.

Wally ducked his head at her words and scooted closer to Hal. The family was quiet once again while they ate, though there was lots of praise to Joan for her pie. Wally finished his ice cream quickly and sat in polite silence while the others ate their desserts, leaning against Hal’s side while he did. It was starting to get late, and with a full belly, he was getting tired and ready to sleep.

“Don’t fall asleep just yet Kiddo.” Hal murmured at him, “We still need to decorate the tree.”

“I’m tired.” Wally complained into his uncle's shirt. 

“Aww Baby.” Barry comforted, reaching over to brush Wally’s hair back from his face. “Just a little longer, we’ll decorate the tree, and then you can go to bed. Okay?”

“Okay.” Wally groaned tiredly.

The table was watching the interaction, watching how Wally had practically climbed onto Hal’s seat with him. Barry had finished his dessert and took to coaxing Wally into his lap so Hal could finish his. Once Wally was in his lap, he rested his head on Barry’s shoulder and wrapped his arms around his neck.

Joe looked at his grandson and the man he’d raised sitting together. Barry stroked his hair and rocked a little, giving him kisses and whispering to him. He swallowed the last of his pie and stood up, taking Barry’s and Wally’s dishes with his own to the kitchen and putting them in the dishwasher. Joan and Jay followed him into the kitchen, cooing quietly to themselves.

“My goodness, those three are so sweet together.” Joan declared quietly.

“I know.” Joe agreed, “I don’t know what Barry was so worried about, he’s a natural.”

Iris came into the kitchen and added her own plate and bowl to the dishwasher, serving the older people with stern looks.

“Okay hens, enough clucking.” She chastised, “Dad, why don’t you make yourself useful and help me get the Christmas tree decorations up from the basement so we can decorate the tree before Wally falls asleep.”

“Yes boss.” Joe conceded, saluting her.

“I’ll help you out.” Jay offered, and followed Joe to the library and down the basement stairs.

Joan smiled after the three and went back into the dining room, trying not to disturb the three left at the table. Hal had moved from his seat into the one Wally had been sitting in and had his arm around the back of Barry’s chair. Wally was limp on Barry’s lap and looked positively exhausted, his eyes were drooping and he looked like he was seconds away from dozing off. Barry turned to look at her when she walked over, smiling at her while she gathered up Hal’s dishes for him and mouthing a thank you.

“Joe, Iris, and Jay have gone to get the decorations so you shouldn’t have to keep him up too much longer.” Joan promised.

Hal nodded at ruffled Wally’s hair.

“Thank you Joan.” He replied, “Hear that Kiddo? Just a little longer.”

Wally hummed into Barry’s shoulder and started moving around, rubbing his eyes to wake himself up. He blinked blearily when Jay, Iris, and Joe walked in with large boxes, watching them go into the living room and setting them down next to the tree. Hal stood and pushed his chair in, helping Barry stand and step around his own seat, then the two walked together into the living room.

Joe and Iris opened the boxes and started taking out lights and ornaments. Jay started testing the lights, plugging them in and making sure they worked, then handing them over to Iris and Joe to wrap around the tree. Joan darted back into the kitchen and retrieved a container of cookies, taking the lid off and placing them on the coffee table. 

With the lights on, they started hanging carved wooden stars, small rocking horses, chrystal snowmen, and glass balls. Iris pulled up some Christmas music on her phone and the soft notes of Silent Night mixed in with the laughter of the family. Hal had a cookie in one hand and was handing decorations to Wally with the other, the little boy had woken up and was eagerly participating in the festivities. 

Barry kept Wally in his arms, helping him hold the tree branches still so he could hang decorations on them. Hal gave him pieces from his cookie and sips of his wine, getting kisses in return. With everyone working together, the tree got decorated quickly and they were done within the hour and Joe handed the star to Wally.

“You wanna put the star on Kiddo?” He offered.

“Yes please.” Wally said bashfully.

Hal put his wine down on the table and took Wally from Barry. He lifted the boy up onto his shoulders and stepped closer to the tree, careful to not knock any ornaments off of it. Wally reached over and balanced the star on the top of the tree, smiling at it reflected the light. Hal stepped back and lifted Wally off his shoulders, settling him on his hip.

“Well, that might be the best looking tree we’ve ever had.” Jay declared.

“You say that every year.” Barry laughed.

“Doesn’t change the fact that this one is the best.” He countered.

Joan rested a hand on Jay’s chest and laughed.

“How about we just take a picture so we can send the kid off to bed before he falls asleep?” She laughed.

Iris hurried off to grab her camera from her bag while Joe set up the tripod. Between Iris and Joe, they managed to get the camera ready in record time and Iris started arranging everyone. She put Hal and Barry together on one side of the tree, with Wally in Barry’s arms. Then she put Jay and Joan to the other side, with her and Joe beside them and set the timer.

Everyone smiled and the camera flashed, making them all blink to get the static out of their eyes. Iris went and checked the screen, giving the thumbs up to let them know the picture was good and everyone cheered. Barry bounced Wally on his hip and gave him a squeeze.

“Whatdaya say, bed time Kiddo?” He asked.

Wally nodded and tucked his head back into Barry’s neck, the excitement of decorating the tree wearing off and his exhaustion catching up with him. He heard people call out goodnight to him and he waved vaguely at them while Hal and Barry carried him upstairs. He brushed his teeth as quickly as he could and changed into pajamas, climbing into bed with his uncles sitting on the edge. Hal tucked him in and gave him a kiss on the forehead.

“Good night my sweet boy.” He whispered, “I had a really good day with you.”

“I had a good day with you too Uncle Hal.” Wally mumbled.

Hal gave him another kiss and stroked his hair, then he stepped back and let Barry say his good nights. Barry took his seat and gave Wally a kiss.

“Good night Baby” He murmured, “I love you, I can’t wait to spend the day with you tomorrow.”

“Good night.” 

Barry and Hal each gave the little boy one more kiss and got up to leave, turning off the light.

“Wait!” Wally called, propping himself up on one arm. “Can you stay with me? Please?”

The two looked at each other, paused by the doorway.

“Just for a little bit?” Wally added.

Hal smiled at his nephew and walked back over to the bed, reclaiming his seat on the edge. Barry joined him and gently pushed on Wally’s shoulders until he was laying back down again, then he tucked the blankets back in around him.

“Of course Kiddo.” Hal said, “We’ll stay until you fall asleep.”

Wally smiled up at them gratefully and snuggled into his blankets. Barry crawled into the corner of his bed between the pillow and the wall and started playing with his hair. Hal stayed seated and silent, patiently waiting with them for Wally to fall asleep.

It didn’t take very long for Wally to start to drift off, his eyes closing and his breathing getting deeper. Hal looked up at Barry when he was sure that the child was sleeping, but both of them stayed put, just to be sure. After ten minutes, when both of them were sure that he was asleep, Hal stood up and Barry crawled off the bed. They walked hand in hand to the door and paused to check that he was still sleeping.

“Night Kiddo.” Hal whispered.

“Sweet dreams.” Barry added.

Then they went into the hallway, Hal pulling the door closed behind them. They exchanged a quick kiss at the top of the stairs, and went to go rejoin the festivities underway down stairs. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, it was a lot of fun to write. For clarification, I don't actually know how to say grace so I'm sorry if it read weird.


	41. After Children Are In Bed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Grownups have their conversations after Wally's gone to bed. A little bit of Angst, because it's just been too peaceful lately.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know that it's been almost a month since I've last updated and I'm so sorry for that. My mental health took a dunk in the goddamn toilet these last few weeks and I haven't been at my best. I'm sorry if I worried anybody, I'm still working on this and I don't intend to stop anytime soon. I love you all, Happy valentines day.

Now that Wally had been put to bed, both Hal and Barry could really unwind and enjoy the company. They had enjoyed celebrating with the youngster, but both had been worried about if he was overwhelmed or if he was enjoying himself and hadn’t been fully engaged in the affairs, something they could do now that he was sleeping. Everyone was aware that they couldn’t get too loud because he was just upstairs, but they could talk and spend time together nonetheless.

Iris was in the armchair again, Joe had dragged a chair in from the dining room, Jay and Joan were on the sofa, and Hal had Barry under his arm on the loveseat. Most of them had glasses of wine, but Barry and Jay just had pop, being that they couldn’t feel the effects of alcohol. Joan was relaxing against the sofa and was just engaged in the conversation, but she also kept eyeing the tree. They still had the lights plugged in, and the overhead light off, so the only illumination came from the tree and a lamp on a side table by the couch, giving the room a sleepy, but festive atmosphere.

“Joe, what are you doing for New Years?” Hal asked his father in law.

“These two are coming over to my place, we’ll stay up as late as we can, have some breakfast the next morning.” Joe answered, “I know you two are heading up to your friends place. Are you looking forward to it?”

“Oh yeah, we’re so excited!” Barry smiled, “All of our friends are so excited to meet Wally, we’ve already introduced him to the Queens and he got along really well with their son. Our other friend, Arthur, has a kid he’s bringing and we’re all hoping that the three of them will become friends.”

Joan and Jay both smiled from the sofa, both of them had obviously taken a liking to Wally and they all knew and liked the members of the Justice League, so they were happy for the new family. Joe and Iris hadn’t met every one of Hal and Barry’s friends, but they had both heard stories from the pair, and of course they had seen them on the news. Besides, anybody Hal and Barry trusted to be near their charge must be very special, given how protective they had proven to be.

“Is Wally excited?” Joan asked.

“Oh yeah. He’s mostly looking forward to seeing Roy again, but he’s excited nonetheless.” Hal responded, “We’ve told him that if he doesn’t like it there, he can just tell us and we’ll take him home, no questions asked.”

“That sounds like a good plan.” Iris chimed in.

“We thought so, yeah.” Barry said.

In a rush of wind, Jay stood up, ran to the kitchen, grabbed a container of the gingerbread cookies, and brought them back to the living room. It all happened faster than nobody except Barry could see him, they just felt the air move and saw the lightning spark. He sat back down with a gingerbread man in his hand, a bite taken out of it’s head, and the open container on the coffee table.

“Goodness, hungry again already?” Joan laughed, playfully swatting him on the arm.

“Speedster metabolism.” Barry and Jay said at the same time while Barry reached for the cookies, taking two and handing one to Hal.

Everyone in the room laughed, knowing how much Barry and Jay needed to eat to sustain their powers. The power bars Bruce had made for Barry also fueled Jay, and both men made sure to have two full boxes in their homes at all times. It was understood that they would still be hungry even after the generous meal they had each had.

Hal took a bite of his cookie, savouring the way the blended spices of the gingerbread mixed with the sweetness of the frosting and candies. Barry settled himself back under Hal’s arm and nibbled on his treat, admiring the carefully piped designs Joan had added to it, as well as the candy eyes and licorice hair. The conversations continued, some of them deep and insightful, others just basic small talk, well into the night.

“You two have taken to parenthood pretty well.” Joan commented.

Barry blushed and turned towards his husband, twisting his engagement ring on his finger to distract himself. Joe smiled at his adopted son with a wistful look in his eyes, watching the couple he had entrusted his only grandchild to.

“It’s been a learning experience, that’s for sure.” Hal responded awkwardly. 

Iris grinned devilishly at her brother and started teasing him, knowing from Barry’s red face that he was already feeling the focus of everyone in the room. 

“Bear, how are you enjoying being a dad?” She asked.

Hal felt Barry go from laidback and relaxed to tense and nervous under his arm, immediately understanding why he felt conflicted. There was no question that they were acting like Wally’s dads, that went without saying and it wasn’t a secret. However, that didn’t change the fact that Wally was Rudy’s son and Hal and Barry were only stepping in, neither wanted to overstep their bounds and proclaim themselves the boy’s parents, especially considering that his actual father was still Joe’s son.

“I-I wouldn’t say that I’m a dad, per say, just an uncle.” He answered carefully, picking his words like he was walking through a minefield.

Joe barked out a laugh and threw his head back, startling the other members of the room. When he got his breath back, he fixed Barry with a stern look that left the blond squirming.

“You take care of him, you feed him, hold him, keep him safe. You’re raising him in _your_ home, you’re a dad.” Joe scolded, looking at Barry like he’d caught him late after curfew.

“Well yeah, but, like, I’m not his dad.” Barry stammered, “He’s still Rudy’s son.”

Iris narrowed her eyes at the mention of her brother, wringing her hands like she was barely keeping herself from getting in the car and hunting her brother for sport. Joe just rolled his eyes and shook his head.

“No, trust me on this, he’ll turn out far more like you and Hal than he will like his father.”

Barry ducked his head at that, avoiding any eye contact with any of his guests and wishing that they weren’t all looking at him. Outwardly, he knew he’d deny what Joe had just said, but inwardly, he secretly hoped that he was right. That one day Wally would truly be more his and Hal’s than Rudy’s, but he didn’t know if he could bring himself to admit it out loud, worried he might jinx it if he did.

“As long as he doesn’t turn out like Iris, I’ll count it as a win.” Hal teased, pushing the conversation in a far lighter direction.

“Screw you! You’ll be lucky if he turns out like me!” Iris protested, taking the bait.

Barry heaved a quiet sigh of relief at the change of topic. He knew that these people loved him, and he loved them in return, but sometimes he wished they weren’t so prone to tease him. He let Hal take the lead in the conversation for a few minutes, increasingly turning his head to look at the stairs behind them. Eventually, he couldn’t take it anymore and excused himself, standing up and darting up the stairs.

Once upstairs, he took a moment to pause and collect himself. He was an introvert by nature, and having so many people in his space could get overwhelming quickly, no matter how much he loved them. It didn’t help that his husband and adopted family were all very extroverted, so they could all be very loud when they got together, the only other person who was kind of like him was Joan, but her battery lasted far longer than his.

He turned and walked into his bedroom, closing the door behind him. He walked a few circles around the room, running his fingers through his carefully combed hair, making it messy while he pulled. After a few laps, he moved to the bathroom and turned the tap on, adjusting the water temperature so it was cool but not freezing. He then unbuttoned his shirt sleeves and pushed them up to his elbows, then he bent over the sink and splashed three handfuls of water into his face in rapid succession.

The chill of the water had the desired effect, it cooled him down and helped wash away the feeling that his skin was too tight. He kept his face hung over the sink and let the water drip off the tip of his nose, taking deep breaths until the majority of the water had fallen off his face. He grabbed the face towel that was hanging on a ring attached to the wall beside the counter and started carefully patting his face dry, lifting his head to look in the mirror when he was finished.

He certainly felt better, but his reflection would have told a much different story. His hair was a mess, sticking out at all angles like he had just walked three miles in a windstorm. With his sleeves rolled up and this face still slightly red from the chill of the water, he looked disheveled and unkempt.

Setting to make himself presentable again, Barry grabbed a comb from his drawer and started fixing his hair, carefully tugging out the knots that had formed by running his hand through it. Once his hair looked better, he traced a finger over each of his eyebrows to shape them, accomplishing it easily because of the leftover water clinging to them. With that done, the redness on his cheeks had faded with the time, back to his pale complexion instead of the fevered look he’d had before. 

Thoroughly calmed down and ready to rejoin the party, Barry hung the towel back on it’s ring and left the bathroom, flicking the lights off behind him. In the hallway, Barry paused at the top of the stairs and took another minute. He could go back down to the party in a second, first, he wanted to check on his nephew, so he hurried to the boy’s bedroom.

The door to Wally’s room was slightly ajar, so Barry didn’t have to worry about the clicking disturbing the sleeping child and waking him up. He tapped into his speed to get through the door quickly and close it without much light getting into the room. With the door mostly closed behind him, Barry crept over to the bed and knelt down next to it. Wally was sprawled out on his back with one arm resting over his stomach and his other up by his head, he had managed to push the blankets around so most of his torso was exposed to the courtside air. Barry tucked him back in and gave him a quick kiss, checking his curtains to make sure they were closed properly, then he left the room.

He closed the door slowly, peeking in through the closing gap for one last peek at his sleeping kid. Being as focused on the bedroom as he was, he completely forgot to pay attention to his other surroundings, so when he turned away and nearly smacked into Joan. It took all of his self restraint to not yelp aloud in surprise, though a sarcastic part of his mind told him that Bruce would scold him if he ever found out that Barry had been so unaware of his surroundings.

“Sorry Dear, I didn’t mean to startle you there.” Joan apologized, “I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

Barry shook himself out and smiled.

“Oh yeah Joan, I’m fine. I just wanted to make sure that Wally was okay.” he whispered.

Joan looked at him with a raised eyebrow, both of them knowing full well that Barry wasn’t being wholly truthful. Finally, the younger of the two speedsters admitted defeat and dropped his gaze.

“And I needed a minute.” He admitted.

“Yeah, you looked a little overwhelmed down there.” Joan acknowledged gently.

Barry smiled, knowing that Joan would never judge him harshly. Nobody in the house was really bothered that Barry’s social battery drained faster than theirs, all of them knowing that he wasn’t always as sociable as the rest of them. It went without saying that he sometimes needed a minute to just be by himself, a moment to briefly recharge at least a little before he could properly function in a social gathering. 

Within the league, he at least wasn’t alone in his introversion. Bruce was also introverted, probably more so than Barry, and the two often slipped off to be alone on opposite sides of the same room, getting their quiet time in together while the others continued with their loud selves elsewhere. While Hal had always been one of the loudest of the group, he made a conscious effort to tone it down with Barry.

When they had been dating, he had always been willing to slip away quietly with him to go take a moment, leaning against the wall patiently while Barry paced in a quiet room or a hallway, always offering a hug and a kiss when he was done. In turn, Barry tried to be more outgoing for Hal, he went to loud sports bars and got into conversations with strangers with his boyfriend. To many, their dynamic wouldn’t have worked, Barry too much of a homebody and Hal too loud and outgoing, but somehow, against all odds, they had fit together like a puzzle piece. Barry helped Hal quiet down and enjoy movie nights and dinners at home, Hal had gotten Barry out of his shell and expanded his world beyond home and work.

“Are you feeling better?” Joan asked, breaking Barry out of his thoughts.  
  
“Yeah, I’m good now.” Barry answered.

“Good. Are you ready to go down to the party?” 

“Yeah, lead the way.” Barry agreed.

~~~~

Hours later, the clock read ten forty-seven and the conversations were starting to get sleepy and slow. Hal had gone to bed a while ago, leaving Barry with his adopted family alone together. Joan was looking at the clock and the door, obviously itching to get to bed, and Iris had nearly dozed off a few too many times to deny she was tired. 

After noticing his wife eye the door for the fiftieth time, Jay stood up and stretched. Joan eyed him hopefully, her happiness palatable when he extended his hand to her.

“Are you ready to head home my Dear?” He asked, helping her up.

“Goodness yes.” Joan answered eagerly.

Barry and the rest of them got up as Jay walked Joan over to the door. Because of the speedforce, Jay and Joan were a lot older than they appeared, both had been born in the thirties and while they had both kept up well with modern technology, they each had some old-timey flare. One stood out now, Jay fetching Joans coat from the closet and helping her into it before he even touched his own coat. Once both of them were dressed for the run home, they said their goodbyes, taking turns embracing those that were staying for the night and bidding them goodnight.

“I’ll text you in the morning Barry, if Wally’s awake before we run over, we’ll just go to the superstore and take a cab the rest of the way.’ Joan planned.

“Sounds like a plan Joan.” Barry agreed, giving her and Jay a hug. “Thank you both for coming, it’s really nice to see you again.”

“Of course Honey, we missed you too.” Joan replied.

“And it’s been nice meeting the new grandson.” Jay piped up with a characteristic smile. 

“I’m glad he got to know you! I know he was a little shy today, but I’m sure once he warms up that he’s going to love you.” Barry said.

“Well there’s no rush.” Joan said, “We can be patient.” 

Barry nodded his appreciation and gave the pair another hug. Eventually, the pair had to go, Jay lovingly lifting his wife up bridal style and heading out the door. In a gust of wind and streak of colour, they were gone, running off in the direction of Keystone. Barry closed and locked the door behind them, turning to his other relatives.

“Let me get you guys some blankets while you blow up the air mattress.” Barry offered the pair.

Joe nodded and headed back to the living room while Iris grabbed a pair of pajamas and her toothbrush from her overnight bag. Their dad grabbed the air mattress from its place under the television stand and started blowing it up while his daughter went to clean up and his son gathered blankets. Within a few minutes, Barry hurried back downstairs with an armful of blankets so high that they nearly blocked his vision.

Joe stood up and to the side while Barry dumped the blankets on the loveseat, sorting through them and starting to make up a bed on the couch. Joe watched him in silence, taking turns between looking at the inflating air mattress and his son. When he was done, he turned to his adopted father with a smile and a quick gesture to the couch and the remaining pile of blankets.

“I think that should be enough for now, but if you need more than just come up and get me, I’ll grab you some more.” Barry chirped cheerfully.

The blond turned on his heel and made to leave, but Joe reached out his hand and caught him by the sleeve.

“Just a second Son.” He whispered gruffly.

Barry turned back to him, his eyes wide and uncertain as he looked at the man who had raised him. Joe released his shirt, knowing that Barry wasn’t going to go anywhere until the conversation was done. Knowing he only had a few minutes until Iris got finished with her bedtime routine, Joe dived right in and got to the point.

“I wanted to thank you. For everything you’ve done for Wally.” He started, “I know that we aren’t related, and I know I wasn’t the best parent to you, but I cannot thank you enough for everything you’ve done for my grandson.”

“No, I just, I.” Barry stammered, at a complete loss for words.

He didn’t regain his ability to speak in time to stop Joe from continuing. He just fell into a stunned silence while the older man kept going.

“I know I’m not your dad, and I swear that I’m not trying to replace him from your life, but I love you like a son and I am so, so proud of the man you’ve become. I have so many regrets in my life Barry, and one of the biggest ones I’ve got is that I never took the time to properly make you my son.” Joe whispered.

Barry nodded and looked down, a few tears slipping down his cheeks. He didn’t try to speak, he knew he couldn’t talk around the lump that was painfully suffocating him in his throat. When Joe grabbed his sleeves again and dragged him into a hug, he didn’t fight it, he just mindlessly returned it.

“I love you Son.” Joe muttered, holding Barry so tight that he could feel his heartbeat.

“I-I love you too Pop.” Barry choked tearfully.

After a moment of listening to Barry’s shaky breaths, Joe let him go. The blond stumbled back on unsteady legs, wiping quickly at his red eyes. Barry stood in the middle of the living room for a few seconds, struggling to get his breathing back under control, and once he did, he turned again to leave.

“I’m ah, I’m going to bed.” He whispered, barely audible if it wasn’t for the dead silence of the room. “Good night.”

“Night son.” Joe whispered.

The retired cop stood in stoic silence while he watched the only good man he’d raised stumble out of the room and up the stairs. He listened to quiet but uncoordinated steps fade away, considering how many mistakes he’d made over his life, how many people he had failed. His only solace was that Barry had a heart of gold, somehow finding it in himself to forgive him, and that the broken child Joe had taken in had found himself another family. One that treated him better than he ever could.

~~~~

Barry started crying before he was even halfway up the stairs, his vision so blurry that he couldn’t see. By a small act of mercy, he didn’t run into Iris or fall down the stairs, instead he made it to his bedroom in one piece. The lamp on Hal’s bedside table was on, but Barry ignored his husband and hurried past him into the bathroom.

Once the door was closed, something in his chest cracked and he started to bawl, sobs wracking his chest so harshly that he had to grab onto the countertop to stay up. Even with his speed, he wasn’t fast enough to wipe the tears away before they fell and after smacking himself too hard too many times, he gave up and just let them fall. His throat burned with the force it took to breath and his head hurt like he had just taken a blow from Gorilla Grodd straight to the brain.

Try as he might, he couldn’t settle himself down, all he could do was try to keep himself quiet. He had always worn his heart on his sleeve, but that wouldn’t make it less embarrassing if he disturbed the house with his crying. Eventually, the lack of oxygen rendered him unable to stand, so he hung onto the counter and fell to his knees.

Time passed both too slowly and too quickly, it felt like the feeling in his chest would never end but his heart was beating too fast. After an unknown amount of time, he vaguely felt a firm hand pry his from the counter and then drag him further into the bathroom. The presence he felt left briefly and then returned, muttering something Barry couldn’t understand. Before he could comprehend that he’d even been spoken to, a waterfall of cold water fell over his head, soaking through his sweater vest and dress shirt and forcefully dragging him back into reality.

Finally able to take a breath for the first time in what felt like forever, Barry sucked in air like a drowning man. He panted and coughed, wiping the water off of his face with shaky hands, looking around. He was now in the shower cubicle, sitting against the tiled wall and facing the open door. Hal stood above him, holding an empty glass and looking at him with concern.

“You back with me?” He asked quietly.

“Y-yeah, sorry about that.” Barry rasped, forcing himself to breath.

“No worries.” Hal whispered, putting the cup back on the counter and crouching down in front of Barry. “Sorry to burst in, I called to you, but you didn’t respond.” 

“You did?” Barry asked.

“Yeah, a few times in fact. I heard you come in, you seemed pretty upset.”

Barry blinked rapidly, concerned by what Hal had said. He had been so out of it that he hadn’t heard his partner calling him when he was practically right beside him. Not only that, but he’d been so far gone that Hal had had to drag him into the shower and shock him to get him back to reality.”

“I’m sorry.” He whispered.

“You don’t have to be.” Hal replied instantly, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m good.”

The look Hal gave him told him that his husband didn’t believe him, but he thankfully didn’t question it. Instead, he stood up and filled the glass with cold water, handing it over to Barry.

“I think you should drink.” He said.

Barry didn’t argue, too busy gulping down the cold liquid to respond. The cool liquid felt amazing on his hurting throat, taking away the pain from his throat and easing his headache just a little. When he’s finished his drink, Hal took it and filled it again, handing it back to him. Barry took it but didn’t chug it like he had before, instead taking a small sip.

“What set you off?” Hal asked him.

“Joe and I had a little heart to heart.” Barry whimpered, mildly hating how pathetic he sounded. “He told me he loved me, and that he was proud of me, and that he regretted not actually adopting me.”

Hal nodded, reached for his hand, giving it a firm squeeze. Barry stumbled to try to stand and Hal braced him, helping him step out of the shower and onto the bathroom floor.

“So I don’t need to go kick anybody's ass?” He asked.

Barry burst out laughing, his throat complaining at the use but he didn’t mind. After all of that crying, it felt nice to laugh.

“No, no you don’t.” He answered, “I know it didn’t look like it, but those were kinda happy tears.”

It was Hal’s turn to laugh this time, looking over his husband with both love and disbelief. Once he was sure that Barry could stand on his own, he let go of him and kissed him on the forehead.

“If you say so Love, if you say so.” He whispered, “If you’re alright here, then I’m going to go back to bed.”

“Okay, I’ll be there in a second.” Barry agreed, tugging at his wet clothes. “Let me just change and brush my teeth.”

Hal nodded and left the room, closing the door behind him so Barry could change in peace. Once he was alone, Barry splashed some more water on his face to refresh himself, not bothering to roll his sleeves up this time, considering that they were already wet. He hurried through brushing his teeth and stripped out of his clothing, hanging the wet articles of clothing on the glass shower wall to dry and tossing the dry-ish ones in the hamper. 

He didn’t trust himself to use his speed, so he just walked naked into the bedroom to get himself some pajamas. Hal had closed their door, so he didn’t have to worry about anyone seeing him naked while he grabbed some sleeping clothes from his drawer. Once he was dressed, he stumbled over to the bed and crawled in beside Hal, giving the other man a clumsy kiss before lying down against his chest. 

“You sure you’re okay?” Hal asked quietly.

“Yeah Babe, I’m alright.” He whispered.

“Okay, if you’re sure. I love you.”

“I love you too.” Barry replied, feeling Hal squeeze him tight.

The pair cuddled for a moment before Hal reached over and turned off the lamp. Once in darkness, Barry closed his eyes and listened to Hal’s heartbeat beneath his head, steady and calm, it lured him into sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> So that was the first chapter, I hope you enjoyed it!, as always, please feel free to leave a kudos and a comment! lots of love, Me!


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